Preview 3rd EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup Oberhof (GER):
FIL luge elite on the hunt for points in Thuringia / Julia Taubitz on the brink of 30th and Wendl/Arlt on 55th World Cup victory
Oberhof (FIL/11 Dec 2024) After Lillehammer (NOR) and Innsbruck (AUT), the international luge entourage has moved on to Germany. The 3rd EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup will take place in the LOTTO Thüringen EISARENA Oberhof from December 13 to 15, 2024. A total of 120 sleds from 22 nations have registered for the World Cup, with 39 women and 47 men competing in singles and 13 women's and 22 men's doubles. In addition to the World Cup races, the first team relays as part of the EBERSPAECHER Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW is scheduled for Sunday. The relay in Innsbruck had to be canceled due to technical problems.
For the Thuringian luge fans, the third weekend of Advent will be a reunion with their local heroes, above all Max Langenhan, World Champion in the single-seater and with the team and Vice World Champion in the sprint, and Julia Taubitz, Sprint and Team World Champion and Vice World Champion from Altenberg. Both are leading the overall World Cup after two stages of the season.
The 25-year-old Max Langenhan grew up in Friedrichroda, 30 kilometres from Oberhof, won the opening race in Lillehammer and currently has a total of 16 World Cup victories under his belt. He leads the overall World Cup with 155 points ahead of the two Austrians Nico Gleirscher (146 points) and Wolfgang Kindl (145 points). Julia Taubitz was born in Saxony and started her luge career in Altenberg, but has lived and trained in Oberhof for many years. Unlike her team-mate Max, she has been on the podium at both World Cups so far this season, and together they won the premiere of the new mixed single-seater event in Lillehammer. This weekend, she could clinch the 30th World Cup victory of her career in front of a home crowd. She leads the overall World Cup standings with 185 points ahead of World Championship bronze medalist Austria’s Madeleine Egle (146 points) and US-athlete Emily Sweeney (145 points).
As in previous years, it remains exciting in the men's and women's doubles. Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal have moved to the top of the overall standings after their two second places and are currently on 170 points, just ahead of the Americans Chevonne Forgan / Sophia Kirkby (155 points) and the Austrians Selina Egle / Lara Kipp (150 points), who have both already won a World Cup this season (Forgan/Kirkby in Lillehammer and Egle/Kipp in Innsbruck).
In the men's doubles, Toni Eggert and his new doubles partner Florian Müller (GER) continue to cause a sensation. The 36-year-old raced onto the podium for the second time in the second race of the season and leads the overall World Cup with 185 points, level on points with Latvia's Martins Bots/Roberts Plume. After two third places, the Austrian doubles Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl are in third place with 140 points. Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt are also looking forward to Oberhof with great anticipation. This is where they won the first of their 54 World Cup victories to date and have already stood at the top of the podium eight times.
An overview of the overall World Cup standings and the individual disciplines can be found here fil-luge.org/en/overall-scores?event_season_id=32
EISARENA Oberhof receives award for innovative and energy-efficient construction method
The LOTTO Thüringen EISARENA Oberhof received an award at the German Engineering Award 2024 in Berlin for its contemporary and energy-efficient modernization. In addition to the innovative and resource-saving construction method, the expert jury particularly highlighted the new roof structure, which blends elegantly into the Thuringian Forest conservation area. The facility was extensively renovated and modernized for the 2023 World Championships. Among other things, this resulted in a unique roof structure that combines design as well as functional and energy-efficient advantages. For detailed information: Deutscher Ingenieurbaupreis 2024: Thüringer Wintersportzentrum
Quotes:
Julia Taubitz (GER): “Of course one always wishes for gold, but I have to be honest and say that after the training week in Lillehammer I wasn't quite as confident and self-assured going into the race. I had a few uncertainties, so I'm very happy with my second place. I'm mainly looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again in Oberhof. Oberhof was very difficult for me for a long time, I won there for the first time in the World Cup last year. Of course I want to build on that, but above all I want to show the best runs at the weekend, be satisfied, work on the start and get further ahead - then it will be a great weekend with family and friends.”
Madeleine Egle (AUT): “It's incredible, I wouldn't have thought that after the preparation, where it didn't go so well. The fact that it's working again in Innsbruck is really cool, it feels good that the speed is back. We have found a very good material set-up, the starts were really good and the runs were absolutely perfect. We can continue like this in Oberhof.”
Max Langenhan (GER): “My two runs in Innsbruck were simply bad. That's why I'm now looking positively towards Oberhof. I'm really looking forward to it. It's always amazing in Oberhof: the people are fantastic, the atmosphere is fantastic, and that's what matters to me. Every volunteer is highly motivated to do everything for our sport. And that's why I'm looking forward to going home!”
Thomas Steu (AUT): “On the one hand, we're brutally annoyed, but on the other hand also extremely happy that we still managed to finish third despite the mistakes. The speed is basically right, but mistakes like that simply shouldn't happen on our home track. We tried everything and can't really blame ourselves. Now it's time to analyze well, then we'll continue in Oberhof.”
Tobias Wendl (GER): “The first run in Innsbruck was really poor, the second was still poor. There is a lot of room for improvement. With Lillehammer and Innsbruck we've now ticked off our two 'hate' tracks - and now hopefully things are improving. The track in Oberhof suits us, we're looking forward to it.”
Toni Eggert (GER): “Of course we are happy to be able to race at home in Oberhof, but realistically it will be rather difficult because other teams are stronger there, who recently had problems in Lillehammer and Innsbruck. We also had big problems on the track in preparation, we couldn't really take the energy from turns four and five. It will be a completely different race and it will be very tough.”
Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER): “The Austrians were just too strong in Innsbruck, we have to give them credit for that. However, with the start record in the second run, we also put in a good performance. Now it's on to Oberhof. The track suits us, we won the World Championships there two years ago. We know that we can race well there, even if it's always a bit difficult at first, depending on how the ice is. I'm sure that the track workers will create a good track and if the weather permits, we'll set good times.”
Dana Kellogg (USA): “I injured my shoulder right at the start during the World Cup race in Innsbruck and was in so much pain I couldn't even lie down on the sled. Frank (Ike) reacted really well and made our sled fall so we could stop it and get off the track. My shoulder is already feeling better, but unfortunately we won't be able to compete in Oberhof. We hope to be back on the attack after the Christmas break.”
Schedule 3rd EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup, Oberhof (GER)
Local start time (CET/MEZ)
Friday, December 13, 2024
11:00 Nations Cup
14:30 Training Seeded group
Saturday, December 14, 2024
09:30 Men’s Doubles, 1st run
10:15 Women’s Doubles, 1st run
11:10 Men’s Doubles, 2nd run
11:45 Women’s Doubles, 2nd run
12:35 Women’s Singles, 1st run
13:50 Women’s Singles, 2nd run
Sunday, December 15, 2024
10:30 Men’s Singles, 1st run
11:55 Men’s Singles, 2nd run
13:30 Team Relay
Subject to change without notice!
