First victory of the season for Sonja Steinacher (ITA) ahead of Ekaterina Lavrentjeva (RUS) and Marlies Wagner (AUT), an outstanding performance of the Russian Double seater Pawel Porschnev/Ivan Lazarev, winner ahead of Reinhard Beer/Herbert Kögl and Harald Kleinhofer/Gerhard Mühlbacher (all AUT): these are the results of the second and last day of the RED BULL NaturalTrack Luge World Cup in Kindberg, Austria.
Porschnev/Lazarev, who had already won „at home“ the competition near Moscow and who finished runner up in Völs (ITA) and Hüttau (AUT), did not believe in the new success. „It’s amazing“, they said. „It is only the first winter that we compete in middle Europe, but we like the tracks. We are in good shape and we have really good material.” Almost impossible for them is, however, to catch the World Cup Leaders Andrzej Laszczak/Damian Waniczek from Poland, today on the fourth spot and for the first time in this winter not on the podium. But the Russians say also: “If we win in Olang at the last competition, who knows?” Before the World Cup ends in Italy, Porschnev/Lazarev compete at the Junior European Championships this weekend in Kreuth, Germany, and at the Senior World Championships in Zelezniki, Slovenija, the weekend after. “We are not satisfied yet”, explains Lazarev.
Not satisfied yet is Sonja Steinacher. The South Tyrolian is defending champion at the Worlds and in the World Cup. “I would like to keep at least one of my two titles, but I don’t care which”, the Italian said in Kindberg. “I’m really happy that finally I won a race, and here in Kindberg I have had a good feeling starting from the training run. Congratulations to the organizers who did a tremendous job. The event was very well organized.”
While in the World Cup overall ranking Steinacher took the leader position from Lavrentjeva, the organizers in Kindberg are already looking forward. In 2004, there will be on the same track the Junior World Championships. With the enthusiasm of the involved people and the experience of this year’s event, it will be likely an other big success.
Result Women:
1. Sonja Steinacher (ITA) 48,39 (1), 48,81 (2) 1:37,20
2. Ekatarina Lavrentjeva (RUS) 48,95 (2), 48,98 (4) 1:37,93
3. Marlies Wagner (AUT) 49,07 (4), 49,07 (5) 1:38,14
4. Irene Mitterstieler (ITA) 49,40 (6), 48,94 (3) 1:38,34
5. Sabine Kogler (AUT) 49,27 (5), 49,33 (6) 1:38,60
6. Elvira Holzknecht (AUT) 50,09 (7), 48,80 (1) 1:38,89
7. Barbara Abart (ITA) 48,99 (3), 50,41 (8) 1:39,40
8. Christa Gietl (ITA) 50,14 (8), 49,51 (7) 1:39,65
9. Julia Vetlova (RUS) 50,63 (9), 50,86 (10) 1:41,49
10. Tina Unterberger (AUT) 51,77 (10), 50,83 (9) 1:42,60
World Cup Overall Standing Women:
1. Sonja Steinacher (ITA) 395
2. Ekatarina Lavrentjeva (RUS) 390
3. Christa Gietl (ITA) 269
4. Marlies Wagner (AUT) 254
5. Barbara Abart (ITA) 252
5. Sabine Kogler (AUT) 252
7. Elvira Holzknecht (AUT) 229
8. Irene Mitterstieler (ITA) 214
9. Julia Vetlova (RUS) 210
10. Renate Gietl (ITA) 199
Result Double Seater:
1. Pawel Porschnev/Ivan Lazarev (RUS) 49,96 (4), 49,45 (1) 1:39,41
2. Reinhard Beer/Herbert Kögl (AUT) 49,47 (1), 49,97 (2) 1:39,44
3. Harald Kleinhofer/Gerhard Mühlbacher (AUT) 49,84 (2), 50,20 (3) 1:40,04
4. Andrzej Laszczak/Damian Waniczek (POL) 49,92 (3), 50,30 (5) 1:40,22
5. Wolfgang Schopf/Andreas Schopf (AUT) 50,52 (5), 50,54 (6) 1:41,06
6. Armin Mair/Johannes Hofer (ITA) 50,81 (6), 50,27 (4) 1:41,08
7. Martin Graf/Harald Laimer (ITA) 50,98 (7), 51,12 (7) 1:42,10
8. Andrzej Tyrna/Tomasz Kowalczyk (POL) 51,52 (9), 51,25 (8) 1:42,77
9. Denis Alimov/Roman Molvistov (RUS) 51,44 (8), 52,11 (9) 1:43,55
10. Simone Deme/Michael Squinabol (ITA) 52,64 (10), 52,23 (10)1:44,87
World Cup Overall Standing Double Seater:
1. Andrzej Laszczak/Damian Waniczek (POL) 445
2. Pawel Porschnev/Ivan Lazarev (RUS) 425
3. Reinhard Beer/Herbert Kögl (AUT) 360
4. Wolfgang Schopf/Andreas Schopf (AUT) 280
5. Harald Kleinhofer/Gerhard Mühlbacher (AUT) 260
6. Martin Graf/Harald Laimer (ITA) 249
7. Björn Kierspel/Hansjörg Mühlbacher (GER) 153
8. Günther und Alex Innerbichler (ITA) 148
9. Armin Mair/Johannes Hofer (ITA) 138
10. Simone Deme/Michael Squinabol (ITA) 121
FIL MEDIA SEREVICE
Egon Theiner
