Germany nominated: Taubitz and Loch lead the World Cup team

Winterberg (FIL/22 Nov 2023) After four qualification races in Altenberg, Oberhof and Winterberg, German head coach Norbert Loch nominated the team for the EBERSPAECHER World Cup starting on December 7 and 8, 2023 in Lake Placid, USA.

The overall winners of the four qualifying races Julia Taubitz, Felix Loch, Jessica Degenhardt / Cheyenne Rosenthal and Hannes Orlamünder / Paul Gubitz will lead the German World Cup team into the new season.

Two qualification races were held on the World Championship track in Altenberg and one selection race each in Oberhof and Winterberg. No female or male athlete was seeded for the World Cup qualification. This decision of the coaching team increased the pressure for everyone, including the established luge athletes, who had to give their best right from the start and could not afford any mistakes.

It all started on October 30 at the “SachsenEnergie-Eiskanal” in Altenberg, which will also host the 52nd FIL Luge World Championships at the end of January 2024.
On November 22, 2023, the pre-season preparation and qualification phase of Team Germany ended at the VELTINS track in Winterberg.

German head coach Norbert Loch then named his World Cup team. "We had a really good preparation and a very good race at the end, the track workers did their best and the conditions were good. At the end we have a points list and we made our nominations based on this list," said Norbert Loch after the last selection race in Winterberg.

In addition to Julia Taubitz (WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal), Anna Berreiter (RC Berchtesgaden) and Merle Fräbel (RT Suhl) are also part of the German women's squad. Only three of the possible four places were also awarded in the men's event. Max Langenhan (BRC 05 Friedrichroda), Felix Loch (RC Berchtesgaden) and David Nößler (RSV Schmalkalden) will represent the German colors. Timon Grancagnolo (ESV Lok Chemnitz) will compete in the Junior World Cup.

Two German sleds will be competing in the women's doubles this season. In addition to the World Champions Jessica Degenhardt (RRC Altenberg) and Cheyenne Rosenthal (BSC Winterberg), the duo of Dajana Eitberger (RC Ilmenau) and Saskia Schirmer (RC Berchtesgaden) will also be competing for World Cup points.

The men's event will feature two fixed doubles. In addition to the Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl (RC Berchtesgaden) / Tobias Arlt (WSV Königssee), the best doubles team in the qualification, Hannes Orlamünder (RRC Zella-Mehlis) and Paul Gubitz (RRC Zella-Mehlis), have been nominated. The duo Max Ewald (RT Suhl) / Jakob Jannusch (RRV Sonneberg/Schalkau), who will start at the World Cup opener in Lake Placid (USA), and Moritz Jäger (RRC Zella-Mehlis) / Valentin Steudte (RT Suhl), who will compete first in the Junior World Cup and then at the EBERSPAECHER World Cup in Whistler (CAN), will change to the third starting position.

In the new year, after the first World Cup races and the German Championships on December 29 and 30 in Altenberg, the cards will be reshuffled and the fourth place in the men's singles will be decided.

The German World Cup team will fly to North America on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 for the international training week and the start of the EBERSPAECHER World Cup in Lake Placid from December 8, 2023.