Oberhof (pps) Russia’s Albert Demchenko, Germany’s Barbara Niedernhuber and André Florschuetz-Torsten Wustlich were last year’s winners of the Viessmann Luge World Cup events at Oberhof. Since 1997, the women’s 1998 Olympic champion Silke Kraushaar from Oberhof lost only two World Cup races on her home-track: in 2000-2001 to her long-term rival Sylke Otto and German team-mate Barbara Niedernhuber in 2004-2005. Kraushaar’s winning record on her home-track: four victories in the Viessmann Luge World Cup (1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2002-2003) plus two European gold medals in 1998 and 2004.

Photo: Andre Florschütz and Torsten Wustlich/GER, winners of last year´s Viessmann World Cup series