Natalie Geisenberger, Jonas Müller and Kashkin / Korshunov win FIL Nations Cup in Sochi
Sochi (FIL) Olympic Champion Natalie Geisenberger (GER), former Sprint World Champion Jonas Müller (AUT) and the doubles' team of Vsevolod Kashkin and Konstantin Korshunov (RUS) were the fastest at the third FIL Nations Cup of the 2021/22 season on Friday, December 3, 2021 at the Sliding Center Sanki in Sochi (RUS).
On the 2014 Olympic track, 2018 and 2014 Olympic Champion Natalie Geisenberger won the FIL Nations Cup in 49.881 seconds ahead of 2020 World Champion Ekaterina Katnikova of Russia (+0.035) and Summer Britcher (USA/+0.211) in a starting field of 41 women.
Geisenberger, who had crashed at the opening of the EBERSPÄCHER World Cup in China and finished the race in 26th place, only came in eighth at the second World Cup stop in Sochi last weekend. For this reason, she had to qualify via the Nations Cup for a starting place at the third World Cup. The 33-year-old from Bavaria said: "I am no longer used to having to race for qualification, everything can happen, you are quickly eliminated and then you don't start in the World Cup. But my run today was OK. I just hope that at the World Cup race I can do one or two percent better, especially in terms of risk-taking."
In the men's race, 24-year-old Austrian Jonas Müller was the fastest among the 38 starters. With a running time of 51.831 seconds, the 2019 Sprint World Champion won ahead of Leon Felderer from Italy (+0.047) and Russia's Pavel Repilov (+0.088). Jonas Müller from Bludenz was satisfied: "My run today was not completely clean, but it was better than the training runs before and we can build on that. I am curious to see what tomorrow will bring. The weather will be a bit warmer at the World Cup. The ice won't be quite as cold as today at the Nations Cup and that plays into my favour, then it will be a bit safer for me and I can fully attack!"
Leon Felderer from South Tyrol was happy about his second place: "That was a pretty good run today at the Nations Cup. Since some of our equipment boxes are still at customs in China, I share my sled with Dominik Fischnaller. But I see that more as an advantage for me. I am now experiencing what is possible with my sled. Dominik is a very good luger and shows me that my material is fast. We planned it well during training. Now we hope that it will also work out in the race and we can both start with the same sled."
There were 18 sleds competing in the doubles' Nations Cup. In a Russian double success on home ice, the doubles Vsevolod Kashkin / Konstantin Korshunov won in 49.954 seconds just ahead of their compatriots Stanislav Maltcev and Dimitrii Khalilov (+0.022). The young Austrians Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schoepf luge to third place in the Nations Cup (+0.065). Winner Vsevolod Kashkin was satisfied although. He was not nominated for the World Cup and started as an additional starter in Nations Cup. So he will not comeate on Saturday: "We will now first travel home to clear our heads and then we plan to come back stronger and with a new sled at some point afterwards", said 23-year-old Vsevolod Kashkin from Mitishi. The 20-year-old Tyroleans Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schöpf were beaming at the award ceremony: "Finally we managed a reasonable run here, we can continue like this," said Juri Ga
Through the Nations Cup, which is always held on Friday mornings in one run, the athletes qualify weekly for the finals of the EBERSPÄCHER World Cup on Saturday and Sunday. The fastest twelve women's singles and doubles and the fastest 15 men's singles of the last three World Cup races are each seeded for the World Cup start and do not have to qualify via the Nations Cup. For them there will be the training of the seeded group on Friday afternoon as the last race before the World Cup.
Detailed results and further information on the 3rd EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup of the 2021/22 season in Sochi (RUS), on the Nations Cup and the training sessions can be found under the following link: https://www.fil-luge.org/de/ergebnisse/eberspaecher-weltcup-17
