Nations Cup victories for Cheyenne Rosenthal, Arturs Darznieks and Steu / Koller in Altenberg

Altenberg (FIL) Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER), Arturs Darznieks (LAT) and Thomas Steu / Lorenz Koller (AUT) won the qualification runs in the FIL Nations Cup on Friday, December 10, 2021 at the SachsenEnergie track in Altenberg.

After the first three World Cup stops in China and Russia, the EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup will make a stop in Germany this weekend, more precisely in Altenberg, Saxony, where World Cup points and Olympic qualifications will be at stake.
The fastest twelve women's and doubles' athletes as well as the best 15 men's athletes of the last three World Cup races are seeded for participation. The other lugers will have to fight for their starting positions in the FIL Nations Cup.
With perfect luge weather and air temperature of minus two degrees Celsius, the 21-year-old German Cheyenne Rosenthal won in 53.397 seconds ahead of the US-American Emily Sweeney (+0.168) and Latvia's Elina Ieva Vitola (+0.328).

Winner Rosenthal said: "I am very happy about the victory in the Nations Cup on the on a singles sled. After my two weeks on the double in La Plagne, I am back on my  single-sled. It is exhausting to change disciplines but it is great fun. Next week I'll be back in the women's doubles at the World Cup in Oberhof with Jessica Degenhardt." Emily Sweeney also celebrated a comeback on her spare sled at the Nations Cup in Altenberg. Her World Cup material has also not yet passed customs from China and is expected to arrive in Germany in the next few days: "I can't complain. After a two-week break from luge, I can start again. It is important to be there, after all it is about the Olympic qualification. Even though I'm competing with backup equipment, on which I don't feel so comfortable of course, I have my own stuff and don't have to borrow equipment like it's the case with others."
In the overall ranking of the Nations Cup, the former World Champion Ekaterina Katnikova from Russia, who came sixth in Altenberg, leads ahead of the two South Tyroleans Nina Zoeggeler and Sandra Robatcher.

In the men's race, Latvian Arturs Darznieks took the victory in 54.868 seconds. Only nine thousandths of a second behind in second place came Germany's Chris Eissler ahead of his teammate Sebastian Bley (+0.085). The 28-year-old soldier Darznieks from Sigulda was happy about his place on top of the podium: "It's nice to win in Altenberg. I am confident and have positive emotions for Sunday. I always want to give my best in a race, no matter if it is a Nations Cup or a World Cup. But of course the World Cup is much more important. I feel good, anything is possible in the World Cup race on Sunday, that's what makes the sport so interesting. We will see what happens on Sunday".
With the second place in the Nations Cup in Altenberg, local hero Chris Eissler took the lead in the overall FIL Nations Cup ranking ahead of Kristers Aparjods from Latvia and Jonas Müller from Austria.

In the doubles' Nations Cup, last year's overall World Cup winners Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller from Austria were the fastest in 42.343 seconds. Two weeks after their crash in Sochi and the fracture of Thomas Steu' left tarsal bone, the Austrians celebrated their comeback in the ice canal with a Nations Cup victory. Their teammates Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schöpf came in second (+0.043), ahead of the German duo Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz (+0.118). After four of nine races, the Russians Stanislav Maltcev / Dmitrii Khalilov lead the overall standings.

Detailed results and further information on the fourth EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup in Altenberg, on the Nations Cup and the training sessions can be found under the following link: https://www.fil-luge.org/de/ergebnisse/eberspaecher-weltcup-11