Koenigssee (pps) It’s not difficult to become a World champion, but defending this title obviously is. Felix Loch, youngest World champion in the history of the International Luge Federation, FIL, can tell a thing or two about it.
After having earned the World Championship gold medal in February 2008, the then 18-year-old defending World junior champion botched his second run at the FIL Junior Worlds in Lake Placid, USA. Ultimately, he had to settle with a silver medal behind Austria’s Wolfgang Kindl. In the 2008-2009 season, the now 19-year-old missed the first three stops of the Viessmann Luge World Cup since he suffered an injury on the shoulder joint with two torn ligaments following a crash during the International Training Week on the future Olympic track at the Whistler Sliding Center in Canada.
This is why the current World champion will celebrate his comeback on his home track in Koenigssee. “Felix is in shape again”, explained Germany’s head coach Norbert Loch, father of Felix. There was no rush and the season’s first competition needed to be well prepared because, after all, the comeback should become a complete success. Norbert Loch: “We are trying to think ahead”.
Loch’s fourth place in Koenigssee, the oldest artificially-iced track world-wide, in 2007-2008 is his best result in the Viessmann Luge World Cup to date. “A place on the World Cup podium” – this is the season’s goal for Felix Loch. At the FIL Luge World Championships in Lake Placid at the beginning of February the young German luger intends to earn another medal. Felix Loch: “I will not repeat the mistake I’ve made at the junior Worlds”.
