Innsbruck-Igls (pps) At the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Innsbruck-Igls Germany’s doubles team Toni Eggert-Sascha Benecken celebrated their first success this season. On the 1976 Olympic luge track they earned their third individual victory. The World silver medalists, who posted a second-place finish at the season opener in Lillehammer, Norway, defeated their team mates Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt, the current World Champions and winners of the first World Cup event in the Olympic season.

Austria’s doubles team Peter Penz-Georg Fischler claimed a third-place result, ahead of Italy’s Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber on fourth place. Incidentally, Oberstolz-Gruber were the last doubles team of a different nation than Germany or Austria to take a top podium finish.

They achieved this feat on January 9, 2010. In the ongoing doubles duel it was the 31st consecutive victory for either a German or Austrian team. Including the top podium finish of Eggert-Benecken in Innsbruck-Igls, German doubles teams claimed 20 victories.

Quotes

Toni Eggert (GER / 2012 World silver medalist, 2013 European Champion)

“It is a very special moment for us because it’s the first World Cup victory we achieved on a different track than back home in Oberhof. Additionally, we claimed it here in Igls where we’ve always had great difficulties in the labyrinth.”

Tobias Wendl

(GER / 2013 World Champion, overall World Cup winner in 2010-2011 and 2012-2013)

“On a sprint track as the one here in Innsbruck-Igls mistakes are punished right away. Well, we made a mistake in the first run but then clocked the fastest run time in the second. It worked out.”

Peter Penz ((AUT / 2012 World bronze medalist)

"I can hardly describe our relief. After a bad start in Lillehammer, the third-place finish is very important to us.”