Winterberg (pps) Germany’s young luge talent Julian von Schleinitz made an impressive debut at his very first competition in the Viessmann Luge World Cup, achieving a podium finish at his first go. “It couldn’t have worked out better”, the two-time junior World champion commented his third place. Thus, Julian von Schleinitz has been right in the thick of it with the “old hands”, only being defeated by two-time Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler of Italy and Germany’s two-time World champion David Moeller. By the way - von Schleinitz relegated 2010 Olympic champion Felix Loch of Germany to fourth place. „Now I’ll continue competing in the junior World Cup series“, von Schleinitz said. “After all, I hope to defend my title at the junior Worlds in Oberhof. And this will be difficult enough...” Hearing this, Felix Loch laughed out loud – as newly crowned World champion Loch competed at the 2008 junior World championships in Lake Placid. In the end he had to contend with second place behind Austria’s Wolfgang Kind… Well, Julian von Schleinitz, who starts for the luge club in Koenigssee, hopes to avoid a similar situation. Even after his truly successful debut in the World Cup series the student remains down to earth: “In March I’ll have to get through my Abitur (A-level) examinations.” Julian von Schleinitz comes from a family of sports enthusiasts. For 25 years now, his father Hans Wolf von Schleinitz has been working with a Christian Organisation for children and teens, since 2008 he acts as managing director. Simultaneously, he is President of the Bavarian Bobsleigh and Luge Association. For many years Julian’s mother played with Germany’s national volleyball team under her maiden name Ute Hankers – achieving a sixth place at the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles.