Madeleine Egle dominates on her home track in Igls as she wishes

Innsbruck (FIL/07 Dec 2024) Madeleine Egle has redeemed herself in the EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup in Innsbruck-Igls. After the disappointing start in Lillehammer, she demonstrated her strength again on her home track. She set the fastest time in the first run in 9:29.0 seconds, the track record in 46:16.1 seconds, the best time in the second run and first place in 1:32.484 minutes. After that, the 26-year-old took a deep breath. “I'm really very satisfied,” she said, “because the pressure was enormous. Everyone wanted to say hello or shake my hand.”

0.240 seconds was the gap between Egle and the winner of the season opener, Julia Taubitz. But the 27-year-old German did not complain about this gap. “After my crash in training this week, I lacked the necessary self-confidence,” she explained. She had hoped that the Olympic track would suit her better after its reconstruction, after all, she has no chance against the starting rocket Egle. But she acknowledged her strength: “Madeleine was unbeatable today. You can only take your hat off to that.”

In third place, Egle's teammate Lisa Schulte made the jump, 0.369 seconds behind the podium. “It's great to be on the podium with Madeleine,” said Schulte, ‘after the training run I knew it was possible and then I just hoped it would work out again.’ The 23-year-old is getting a special jersey that gives her the necessary self-confidence: ”I've been wearing the World Championship jersey all season, which gives me an extra boost.”

Emily Sweeney got that extra boost with her second place finish at the opening in Lillehammer. In Igls, things didn't go quite as well, partly because the American had fallen ill this week. “I'm proud, I had two clean runs,” she said, “weakened by the illness, that was a solid performance.” She was satisfied with fourth place (0.482 seconds back).

Two training colleagues fought a thrilling duel for fifth place. With a lead of two hundredths of a second, the German Anna Berreiter (0.712 seconds behind) secured fifth place ahead of the Swiss Nathalie Maag.