European Champions Italy win season opener in anniversary team relay

Innsbruck-Igls (RWH): European Champions Italy have got off to a perfect start in the milestone year for the team relay event. This season marks the tenth year that the Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW has been part of the International Luge Federation's (FIL) World Cup programme. The Italian squad, consisting of Andrea Vötter, Dominik Fischnaller and Ivan Nagler/ Fabian Malleier, won the season opener in Innsbruck-Igls.

Second place went to the host team of Austria, made up of Lisa Schulte, Jonas Müller and Thomas Steu/Lorenz Koller, meaning they were once again thwarted in their efforts to win their first team relay race. Third place was awarded to the German quartet of Julia Taubitz, Felix Loch and Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken. After a mistake by Ivanova, the winner of the women's event, World Champions Russia with Tatyana Ivanova, Roman Repilov and Vladislav Yuzhakov/Iurii Prokhorov ended up in seventh place.

The 2nd Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW will take place on the artificial track in Altenberg (GER) on 12 January. The two non-European World Cup events will host the BMW Sprint World Cup instead.