Degenhardt/Rosenthal end Egle/Kipp's winning streak – Steu/Kindl triumph in the men's event
Pyeongchang (FIL/15.02.2025) Everything was set for Selina Egle and Lara Kipp. The two Austrians were in the lead after the first run in the women's doubles race in the EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup in Pyeongchang (KOR). With their seventh victory in eight World Cup races, they could have clinched the overall title early. Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal, however, had something against that. With a courageous second run, the two Germans were able to overtake their Austrian rivals. After six second places this season, this was their first victory in 1:33.618 minutes. They were 0.023 seconds faster than Egle/Kipp. In the overall standings, Egle/Kipp and Degenhardt/Rosenthal are separated by 75 points ahead of the final in Beijing next weekend. Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina (Germany/0.395 seconds back) took third place.
Chevonne Forgan and her doubles partner Sophia Kirkby came in fourth, 0.620 seconds back, and can call themselves American Pacific Champions. Anda Updite and Zane Kaluma (Latvia) were more than a second back, at 1.052 seconds. Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer (Italy/1:466) missed out on a better placing due to a major mistake in the first heat.
In the Men's Doubles race, Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl took advantage of their small chance of winning the overall World Cup. With a flawless second run (46.198 sec.), the two Austrians were able to move up from fourth place. Their total time: 1:32.578 minutes. This made them two thousandths of a second faster than Toni Eggert and Florian Müller. The Germans had led after the first run. While Steu was pleased: “Winning by two thousandths of a second ahead of Toni is outstanding,” Eggert was annoyed: “The two thousandths of a second would have been possible.” With third place, 0.102 seconds behind, Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (Germany) were able to extend their lead in the overall standings to 85 points, because their immediate chasers Martins Bots and Roberts Plume made a mistake in the lower part of the track and came in 13th, 13.653 seconds behind.
Even the World Champions Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz did not manage to complete the 2018 Olympic ice track without making a mistake. The two Germans finished fourth, 0.342 seconds behind the winners Steu/Kindl, ahead of Yannick Müller/Armin Frauscher (Austria/0.368) and the Italians Ivan Nagler/Fabian Malleier (0.623). Zachary Di Gregorio/Sean Hollander (USA/0.657) were the only team to be classified in the American Pacific Championship.
