European Championships, 2017 World Championships and Olympic test in quick succession

Berchtesgaden (RWH) The current luge season is set to continue in the New Year with several events in quick succession. The 5th Viessmann World Cup of the season is due to take place on the artificial ice track in Königssee on January 5-6, an event at which the European Champion will also be crowned. Later in January the 47th World Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL) will take place in Innsbruck. This is followed in February by the Olympic test for the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea.

The athletes have been doing their best to publicize the sport during the four opening rounds of the pre-Olympic winter, with exciting races in Winterberg (GER), Park City (United States), Lake Placid (United States) and Whistler (CAN). The victory ceremonies in the Viessmann World Cup and the BMW Sprint World Cup have been as varied and colorful as they were last winter.

In the women’s luge there have been no fewer than five different winners on the top step of the podium in the six events before the Christmas break. The victors were the Germans Natalie Geisenberger, Dajana Eitberger, and Tatjana Hüfner, who celebrated a record-breaking win in Lake Placid, Alex Gough (CAN), who won the lightning-quick World Cup in Whistler, which was reduced to a single run, and Erin Hamlin (USA) in Park City. In the men’s event, Johannes Ludwig and Felix Loch (both GER) took wins before Tucker West (USA) enjoyed two back-to-back victories and Roman Repilov /RUS) celebrated his first World Cup gold medal. Dominik Fußischnaller won the BMW Sprint World Cup at Park City.

Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken (GER) have been in a class of their own in the doubles, winning five of six events before Christmas. The other one was won by Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt.

(Photo: Jürgen Broszio)