Patrick Pigneter wins hundredth thriller at Kühtai

Kühtai (PMA) - As in 2014 the winner of the first FIL Luge World Cup on Natural Track is Patrick Pigneter. The South-Tyrolean won a hundredth thriller at the parallel race at Kühtai. Three times he lost the first run from quarterfinal to Big Final. He pushed hard at the second and decisive runs and won three out of three with a gap of a few hundredths of a second. At the quarter final he had a lead of six hundredths against Florian Glatzl. At the semi final he beat his teammate Alex Gruber by only two hundredths.

"The most important preparation for a parallel race is in your head. You have to be strong to stay focussed at every run or to start with a gap into the decisive run", describes Pigneter. Same happened in the Big Final against Michael Scheikl. The Austrian was leading after the first run, but Pigneter won the second and final run.

Winner of the Small Final was Austrian Thomas Kammerlander who landed on the podium in front of his home crowd. Fourth place went to Italy and Alex Gruber.

Results 1st Mens World Cup at Kühtai:
1. Patrick PIGNETER (ITA)
2. Michael SCHEIKL (AUT)
3. Thomas KAMMERLANDER (AUT)
4. Alex GRUBER (ITA)
-- out in Quarterfinals --
5. Florian CLARA (ITA)
6. Florian GLATZL (AUT)
7. Gregori BUKIN (RUS)
8. Aleksandr EGOROV (RUS)

MEN'S OVERALL WORLD CUP STANDINGS:
1. Patrick PIGNETER 100, 2. Michael SCHEIKL 85, 3. Thomas KAMMERLANDER 70