Olympic Champion David Gleirscher celebrates maiden Viessmann Luge World Cup victory

Altenberg (RWH) Nearly two years after his 2018 Olympic victory in PyeongChang, Korea, David Gleirscher has finally claimed his maiden victory in the Viessmann Luge World Cup. The 25-year-old Austrian finished ahead of Dominik Fischnaller in second at the fourth round of this season’s racing series in the Saxon town of Altenberg (GER). The previous rounds were held in Innsbruck (AUT), Lake Placid (USA) and Whistler (CAN). In third place was Germany’s two-time Olympic Champion Felix Loch.

Kristers Aparjods (LAT), the 2016 gold medallist at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer (NOR), finished in fourth place ahead of three-time European Champion and former World Champion Semen Pavlichenko (RUS). The Junior World Champion, Germany’s Max Langenhan, ended up sixth overall.

World Cup leader Roman Repilov from Russia botched his first run and ended up 22nd at the halfway point. In a damage limitation exercise, the 2017 World Championship silver medallist went on to set the best time on the second run to finish tenth overall.

Repilov, the overall season winner in 2016/2017, ended up retaining his lead in the standings on 466 points. He is followed in second place by Sprint World Champion Jonas Müller (385) from Austria, who learned a painful life lesson in Altenberg where he finished dead last after making a mistake on his final run, having been third at the halfway mark. Third in the overall classification is Dominik Fischnaller (350) ahead of Felix Loch (327).

Quotes

David Gleirscher (AUT / Olympic Champion in 2018, Olympic bronze medallist in team relay)

“It is such a great feeling to follow up my Olympic victory with a World Cup win. I am delighted that I finally was able to show that I can be the fastest slider on a World Cup weekend. It’s great for my confidence going into the season’s major races at the World and European Championships.”

Dominik Fischnaller (ITA / World Championship bronze medallist 2017, World Championship Sprint bronze medallist 2017)

“I’ve started the new year where I left off at the end of last year. It’s perfect. Now I’m looking forward to Lillehammer, where I have such good memories of my first World Cup victory.”

Felix Loch (GER /  Olympic Champion in 2010 and 2014, six-time World Champion)

“I love coming to Altenberg every year because it feels like the track is tailor-made for me. The men’s field is has got much closer in the last three or four years. I get so much enjoyment out of it, I have no issues with motivation.”