It was in Moscow few weeks ago during the World Cup races, when Robert Batkowski (AUT) found himself sitting on a table with only World Champions around him: Sonja Steinacher and Anton Blasbichler from Italy, Beer/Kögl, Gerald Kallan and Gerhard Pilz from Austria. “I should not sit here”, said Batkowski, and joked: “Anyway. I will be the next World champion.”
Just a joke. A joke, however, which showed the self confidence of the 24 years old racer from Tyrol who enjoys this winter of a great performance. The Austrian won two World Cup races and was able to beat in Zelezniki five times World Champion and teammate Gerhard Pilz.
Batkowski was in eight position after the Saturday’s run, but the time difference to the top not really big. “I knew that I had to have very fast on Sunday, and so I did”, explained Batkowski, celebrating the victory. “I changed some little things on my sledge, and I was successful. This is one of my greatest days in my life!”
“Robert deserved the title”, said Gerhard Pilz. “He had in average the best runs from all of us. I was unlucky in the last run, it was not really the kind of a run I had in my mind.” Pilz won his ninth medal on his ninth World Championships (5 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) and he is still in the race for the overall World Cup which will be decided next weekend in Olang, Italy. His main contender: Robert Batkowski again.
In Zelezniki, Gerald Kallan completed as third the performance of Austrian racers, Toni Blasbichler was best of the Italians as fourth, Borut Kralj (SLO) managed it to keep a place in the top ten. Well did Nord American racers like Corey Pusey (CAN/21.), John Gibson (CAN/26.) and Julien Schultz (USA/30.). From the Scandinavian participants Knut Solheim (NOR/28.) was to find into the top 30.

The 14th World Championships in Natural Track Luge, on which 114 racers from 15 countries took part, was a big success from all points of view. The athletes did appreciate the good conditions of the track, but Josef Fendt, president of the Federation Internationale de Luge (FIL) did also mention the big effort which made the Slovenian Organizing Committee. The next World Championships will be held in Latsch im Vinschgau (South Tyrol/Italy). Was Borut Fejfar the local hero in Zelezniki, so will it be Andreas Castiglioni in two years.

Results men:

1. Robert Batkowski (AUT) 56,54 (8), 55,76 (1), 56,02 (1) 2:48,32
2. Gerhard Pilz (AUT) 56,28 (3), 56,07 (2), 56,54 (3) 2:48,89
3. Gerald Kallan (AUT) 56,31 (4), 56,65 (6), 56,47 (2) 2:49,43
4. Toni Blasbichler (ITA) 56,23 (1), 56,48 (3), 57,00 (9) 2:49,71
5. Florian Breitenberger (ITA)56,39 (6), 56,83 (8), 56,75 (5) 2:49,97
6. Borut Kralj (SLO) 56,33 (5), 56,98 (11), 56,69 (4) 2:50,00
7. Roland Kallan (AUT) 56,24 (2), 57,06 (14), 56,95 (8) 2:50,25
8. Rudi Resch (ITA) 56,51 (7), 56,56 (4), 57,26 (13) 2:50,33
9. Andreas Gruber (ITA) 56,70 (10), 57,04 (12), 56,75 (5) 2:50,49
10. Andreas Castiglioni (ITA) 57,00 (13), 56,96 (10), 56,84 (7) 2:50,80
11. Gerald Kammerlander (AUT) 56,83 (11), 57,08 (15), 57,03 (10) 2:50,94
12. Ferdinand Hirzegger (AUT) 56,56 (9), 57,05 (13), 57,42 (14) 2:51,03
13. Aleksej Lebedev (RUS) 56,89 (12), 56,63 (5), 57,52 (16) 2:51,04
14. Martin Psenner (ITA) 57,31 (16), 56,95 (9), 57,19 (11) 2:51,45
15. Daniel Quitta (ITA) 57,18 (15), 57,42 (18), 57,23 (12) 2:51,83
16. Marcus Grausam (GER) 57,60 (18), 57,30 (16), 57,60 (17) 2:52,50
17. Georg Maurer (GER) 57,57 (17), 57,33 (17), 57,81 (20) 2:52,71
18. Grega Spendov (SLO) 57,62 (19), 57,96 (21), 57,47 (15) 2:53,05
19. Gasper Benedik (SLO) 57,71 (20), 57,87 (20), 57,71 (18) 2:53,29
20. Ervin Marn (SLO) 58,57 (22), 57,61 (19), 57,80 (19) 2:53,98
21. Corey Pusey (CAN) 58,63 (23), 58,91 (23), 59,14 (22) 2:56,68
22. Rudi Schwarz (GER) 58,56 (21), 59,79 (26), 58,73 (21) 2:57,08
23. Peter Popov (RUS) 59,37 (24), 59,45 (25), 59,48 (23) 2:58,30
24. Damian Waniczek (POL) 1:00,13 (26), 58,85 (22), 59,90 (27) 2:58,88
25. Christian Wichan (GER) 1:00,33 (28), 59,12 (24), 59,80 (25) 2:59,25
26. John Gibson (CAN) 59,91 (25), 1:00,08 (27), 59,62 (24) 2:59,61
27. Pavel Porschnev (RUS)1:00,43 (29), 1:00,45 (29), 1:00,24 (28) 3:01,12
28. Knut Solheim (NOR) 1:00,81 (30), 1:00,54 (30), 59,88 (26) 3:01,23
29. Ivan Lazarev (RUS) 1:00,25 (27), 1:00,43 (28), 1:00,84 (30) 3:01,52
30. Julien Schultz (USA) 1:01,39 (32), 1:01,20 (31), 1:00,84 (30) 3:03,43
31. Aleksander Egorov (RUS) 1:01,07 (31), 1:02,13 (32), 1:00,37 (29) 3:03,57
32. Kristian Roel (NOR) 1:01,63 (33), 1:02,37 (33), 1:01,40 (32) 3:05,40
33. Kenan Strojil (BIH) 1:02,27 (34), 1:02,98 (34), 1:01,80 (33) 3:07,05
34. Borut Fejfar (SLO) 57,17 (14), 56,68 (7), 1:15,33 (48) 3:09,18
35. Michael Tornquist (SWE) 1:03,14 (35), 1:03,41 (36), 1:03,38 (35) 3:09,93
36. Jasmin Prnjavorac (BIH) 1:05.00 (39), 1:03,04 (35), 1:02,91 (34) 3:10,95
37. Loren Montcalm (USA) 1:04.48 (37), 1:03,62 (37), 1:04,71 (37) 3:12,81
38. Tomas Papiorek (CZE) 1:05.01 (40), 1:04,81 (38), 1:05,06 (38) 3:14,88
39. Caleb Underwood (USA) 1:04.06 (36), 1:05,92 (39), 1:05,42 (40) 3:15,40
40. Petr Pulcar (CZE) 1:07.32 (41), 1:05,92 (39), 1:05,21 (39) 3:18,45
41. Huri Hartsula (UKR) 1:08.13 (42), 1:07,56 (41), 1:07,42 (41) 3:23,41
42. Martin Nachmann (GER) 1:04.61(38), 1:17,04 (47), 1:03,53 (36) 3:25,18
43. Galabin Botsev (BUL) 1:09.06 (43), 1:09,70 (43), 1:09,25 (44) 3:28,01
44. Georgi Mirtschev (BUL) 1:12.52 (44), 1:13,22 (44), 1:12,24 (46) 3:37,98
45. William Ogilvie (GBR) 1:13.39 (46), 1:13,27 (45), 1:11,77 (45) 3:38,43
46. Desislav Charlov (BUL) 1:20.85 (48), 1:09,33 (42), 1:08,66 (43) 3:38,84
47. Emil Lazarov (BUL) 16.87 (47), 1:15,50 (46), 1.12,57 (47) 3:44,94
48. Miroslav Vuchalijski (BUL) 1:12.91 (45), 1:25,44 (48), 1:07,91 (42) 3:46,26

Out first run:
Did not start: Tom Power (CAN), Andrzej Laszczak (POL), Kenan Suljagic (BIH), Denis Alimov (RUS) Did not finish: Jure Pohleven (SLO)

Foto: Andreas Schaad

Egon Theiner
FIL Media Service