Altenberg (RWH) A crystal cup as consolation for missing World Championship gold: one week after his silver medal at the 45th World Championships organised by the International Luge Federation (FIL), Olympic Champion Felix Loch has secured his fourth overall victory in the Viessmann World Cup after 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. After taking his sixth victory of the season in Altenberg, the 25-year-old can no longer be overtaken in the standings. Loch’s teammates Johannes Ludwig and Andi Langenhan came in second and third. It was in Altenberg that Loch won the first of his 24 individual victories in a Viessmann World Cup in the winter of 2009/2010, and he has not been beaten on the artificial track here since, winning a total of five World Cups, as well as the second of his four World Championship gold medals in 2012. Norway’s Thor Haug Norbech was in second after the first run, but ended up in seventh, just failing to achieve a personal best. A fourth place in Lake Placid (USA) in the winter of 2012/2013 was his best result to date. At 805 points in the overall rankings, Loch is the clear winner of the Joska Crystal Cup. He is now followed by Langenhan (539) and Austria’s World Championship bronze medallist Wolfgang Kindl (521), who came fourth in Altenberg. Sunday will see the FIL Sprint World Cup in Altenberg, the eleventh of the twelve World Cup races this season. The final race will be run next weekend, 28 February and 1 March 2015 in Sochi (RUS). Quotes Felix Loch (GER / 2010 and 2014 Olympic Champion and four-times World Champion) “I like racing in Altenberg. I hope the spectators could see that. It’s really great that I was able to clinch my win in the overall World Cup rankings here, too.” Johannes Ludwig (GER / 2013 World Championship bronze medallist) “In the first run I benefited from a good starting position. In the second run I proved that my result wasn’t a coincidence. I dedicate my success to my young son Carlson.” Andi Langenhan (GER / fourth-placed at the Olympics, 2008 World Championship bronze medallist and 2013 World Championship silver medallist) “I was so frustrated after the first run, and I’m really happy now. But I would never have thought I’d make it onto the podium.”