Victory for Austria at the FIL Luge World Cup on Natural Track in Winterleiten. Local hero Michael Scheikl showed 2 brillant runs an won the first race of the 2020 season. Team Austria also won the team competition.

At the 2019 World Championships in Latzfons (ITA) Michael Scheikl won the bronze medal, this was the career-highlight for the 30 years old athlete from Kindberg in Styria. On Sunday on the track in Winterleiten Scheikl took the lead in the first run, 0.14 seconds ahead of Patrick Pigneter (ITA) and World Champion Alex Gruber (ITA). In the second run Michael Scheikl was the fastest in every sector and in a total time of 2:25.58 minutes the Austrian took his third career-victory, followed by Patrick Pigneter (+0,89 seconds) on second and Thomas Kammerlander (AUT/+1.08) on third place. Alex Gruber finished on fourth position.

Michael Scheikl (r.) is celebrating the victory with his father Alois

„That’s crazy, I was really very nervous today. The track conditions were difficult, it was not an easy job on the bumpy track. In the end I think I was lucky. I am very happy about this victroy, finally I am back on top after my injury“, explained Scheikl.

In the Team Competition the winner is Team Austria (Tina Unterberger/Michael Scheikl) in 2:29.33 minutes, followed by Team Russia (Ekaterina Lavrenteva/Aleksandr Egorov) and Team Germany (Sara Bachmann/Oliver Schiller).

Podium Team Competition

The next venue in the FIL Luge World Cup on Natural Track is from January 9th to 12th in Passeiertal (ITA), where the only pursuit-race of the season is scheduled on Sunday 12th.