Park City (pps) By the comeback of the two-time Olympic silver medallists Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin the doubles events in the Viessmann Luge World Cup have become even more exciting. The World Cup title holders had to cancel the first three competitions at Sigulda, Latvia, Altenberg, Germany, and Calgary, Canada, because Grimmette suffered from a slipped disk.

Last week the duo made their first training runs on the Olympic track at Utah Olympic Park. “I am feeling great again on the sled. I am back to where I belong,” 32-year-old Grimmette said after the test runs. “I’m feeling better with every run, a bit more com-fortable, a bit more flexible.“ Though the Americans no longer think about defending their title successfully, they want make winning very hard for their competitors. “We don’t have a chance anymore in the World Cup, but we want to prepare as well as possible for the World Championships”, Brian Martin disclosed.

The figure heads of the US Luge Federation are vying for the first big title at the 2004 World Championships in Nagano, Japan, on February 13-15. But they also look to the future, the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, where Grimmette and Martin would like to win their third successive Olympic medal after two silvers in Nagano and Salt Lake City. A feat that has only been achieved in US winter sports by figure skater Beatrix Loughran and speed skater Bonnie Blair.

Austrian World champions Andreas and Wolfgang Linger are leading in the doubles World Cup with 256 points followed by Germany’s Olympic champions Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch (216) and Italy’s Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber (215).

The top lugers in the men’s and women’s singles have a much more comfortable lead. Italy’s Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler (285 points) even extended his lead to 91 points by finishing runner-up in Calgary. Title holder, Austria’s Markus Kleinheinz (194), follows in second position ahead of his team-mate Rainer Margreiter (187). Germany’s David Moeller, who won in Calgary, holds fourth rank with 186 points followed by US-American Tony Benshoof (182).

Thanks to her first World Cup victory this season, Germany’s Sylke Otto took over the lead with now 270 points from Silke Kraushaar (242). The two Austrians, Veronika Halder (174) and Sonja Manzenreiter (170) hold the third and fourth spots.