Preview 1st EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup, Lake Placid (USA): Season opening at the Olympic ice track on Mount Van Hoevenberg
Lake Placid (FIL/06 Dec 2023) The international luge elite will kick off the new season in Lake Placid (USA) on December 8 and 9, 2023. The world's top luge athletes return to the US state of New York after four years.
28 women, 26 men, 11 women's doubles and 19 men's doubles from 16 nations have registered for the 1st EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup of the 2023/24 season. There are a total of nine EBERSPÄCHER World Cup venues in five countries and on two continents on the FIL's artificial track calendar. Three Sprint World Cups and six EBERSPÄCHER Team Relay World Cups presented by BMW will also be held. The highlight of the season will be the 52nd FIL World Championships, which takes place at the end of January in Altenberg (GER).
The same number of men and women will be competing as in the previous season, i.e. an equal number of 30 men and 30 women (12 seeded, 18 qualified via the Nations Cup) and 24 men and 24 women doubles (12 seeded, 12 qualified via the Nations Cup). A maximum of four single-seaters and three doubles may compete per nation. Besides the classic EBERSPÄCHER World Cup in the disciplines of women's and men's singles as well as women's and men's doubles, the first Sprint World Cup of the season will also be held in Lake Placid. The qualifying takes place at the World Cup race. Those finishing in the top 15 are also entitled to compete in the sprint on Saturday.
The lugers are back on the challenging track at Mount Van Hoevenberg in the US state of New York for the first time since 2019. Originally built for the 1932 Winter Olympic Games, the ice track was later re-used for the 1980 Winter Olympics. This made Lake Placid the first American city to host the Winter Olympics twice. The track was extensively renewed, renovated and modernized for the 2000 Goodwill Games. The track is approximately 1,455 meters long, has 20 curves and a vertical drop of 89.4 meters (294 ft). It is known for its challenging curves and high-speed sections, which make it a very attractive track for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton sports.
Home advantage for Team USA
The artificial ice track in Lake Placid has always been a popular venue for various international and national luge competitions as well as for training and development programs for young athletes. The US team has high hopes for the home advantage they have managed to gain in recent years. The national team ended the 2022/2023 season with seven medals and 58 top ten finishes in the World Cup, including eleven top ten finishes at the World Championships in Oberhof. The medal count was led by two-time Olympian Emily Sweeney from Lake Placid, who won three World Cup medals in three different disciplines last season and finished the season in fifth place overall.
Reigning champions at the start
With Julia Taubitz (GER), Dominik Fischnaller (ITA), Andrea Vötter / Marion Oberhofer (ITA) and Tobias Wendl / Tobias Arlt (GER), all winners of the previous season's overall World Cup are back again. While Dominik Fischnaller and his two Italian teammates Vötter / Oberhofer won the big crystal globe for the first time, Julia Taubitz was delighted with her third victory in the overall World Cup. Her team-mates Tobias Wendl / Tobias Arlt celebrated their fifth overall World Cup and are now in fourth place on the all-time leaderboard. Germany topped the podium in the team relay for the twelfth time.
National champions in the World Cup
Numerous athletes are traveling to Lake Placid with medals from their national championships. The newly formed double of Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl claimed their maiden victory at the Austrian national championships in Innsbruck-Igls (AUT). They impressed with two best start times and won both heats. In the women's doubles, Selina Egle and Lara Kipp lived up to their role as favorites, as did Madeleine Egle in the women's singles, who claimed her fourth championship title with two best times. In the men's singles, world champion Jonas Müller narrowly beat Nico Gleirscher and Wolfgang Kindl in a thrilling race.
The US team held its national championships in Lake Placid. While Ashley Farquharson and Jonny Gustafson won the singles, World Championship bronze medallists Chevonne Forgan and Sophie Kirkby as well as Zack DiGregorio and Sean Hollander triumphed in the doubles.
Team Germany will hold its national championships during the Christmas break on December 29, 2023 on the World Championship track in Altenberg (GER).
Chris Mazdzer retires and competes for the last time in Lake Placid
Four-time Olympian and 2018 Olympic silver medalist Chris Mazdzer announced his retirement from competitive luge. Following an esteemed 22-year career of competing internationally in the sport, Mazdzer has decided the EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup taking place in Lake Placid on December 8-9 will be his last. Over his career, he was a seven-time national champion, collected 24 World Cup medals, one World Championship, an Olympic silver medal, and finished third overall in the 2015-16 World Cup standings. In addition to singles racing, he teamed up with two-time Olympian Jayson Terdiman in 2019 to compete in men’s doubles. Mazdzer and Terdiman helped the U.S. team win a team relay bronze medal at the 2020 World Championships.
Team Ukraine at the start of the World Cup
The Ukrainian national team had originally planned to only take part in the European World Cup races, but now the team led by national coach Taras Hartsula is also competing at the season opener in Lake Placid. His athletes all trained at home in Ukraine during the summer, even though it was very difficult due to the war in their country. As Hartsula reported during a central training camp in Sigulda, they were often forced to interrupt their training due to air raids or missile attacks. All the better for the international luge family that the Ukrainian athletes Elena Stetskiv, Andrei Mandziy and Anton Dukach (all singles) as well as Elena Stetskiv / Alexandra Moh and Igor Hoy / Nazar Kachmar (doubles) are competing in all four disciplines.
Review Kick-off start competition
They are currently the fastest starters among the international luge elite. Sigita Berzina (LAT), Tucker West (USA), Jessica Dengenhardt / Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER) and the Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl / Tobias Arlt (GER) proved this on December 1, 2023 at the international kick-off start competition at the new USA Luge start facility in Lake Placid. At the event, which was jointly organized by the FIL and USA Luge, the athletes were able to win a total of 8,000 Euros in prize money. The first run of the competition was held as a traditional luge start. Only the best eight sleds progressed to the second run, which was held with a reaction start, similar to the team relay. Each nation could enter two sleds in each discipline. For more information: Berzina, West and Germany's doubles win opening competition (fil-luge.org)
FIL Saison-Kalender 2023/24:
Other than in previous years, the FIL EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup will not traditionally start the new season in Innsbruck (AUT), but overseas. The season calendar is as follows:
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Lake Placid (USA), 07. – 09. 12. 2023
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Whistler (CAN), 14. - 16. 12. 2023
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Winterberg (GER), 05. – 07. 01. 2024
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Innsbruck (AUT) & FIL EM, 13. – 14. 01. 2024
52. World Championships 2024 Altenberg (GER), 26. – 28. 01. 2024
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Altenberg (GER), 02. – 04. 02. 2024
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Oberhof (GER), 09. – 11. 02. 2024
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Oberhof II (GER), 16. – 18. 02. 2024
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Sigulda (LAT), 23. – 25. 02. 2024
EBERSPAECHER World Cup Sigulda II (LAT), 01. – 03. 03. 2024
Quotes on the World Cup start:
Dominik Fischnaller (ITA): „I'm very happy that things are finally kicking off. The preparation has been long enough now and it's time to finally get that racing feeling again. It's great to race here in Lake Placid because it's one of the most difficult tracks and it's incredible fun to race here. I really enjoy racing here, but there are obviously a lot of key sections, such as turns 11-12 and the long straight. The first practice session was okay, but there is still a lot that needs to be improved before the race.“
Andrea Vötter ITA): „We've settled in well in Lake Placid. I've been here on the track a few times, but only in singles and not in doubles. That's why we were a little nervous because the track is considered to be very difficult. As Marion had never been here before, we both started off in the single-seater, which was good for us. After we got to grips with the line in the single-seater, we were also able to transfer it well to the double-seater. It's going quite well and we're really looking forward to the race. It will certainly be exciting because it's difficult to get two really good runs here.“
Leon Felderer (ITA): „I'm doing quite well. The track is great. It's my first time here but I didn't have any major problems, I got on well straight away. The preparation generally went well and I'm looking forward to the races. We will finally see where we stand.“
Norbert Loch, Head coach Team Germany: „We are definitely looking forward to Lake Placid. We haven't been there for three seasons and everyone is eager to return. Lake Placid is one of the toughest tracks in the world. I think it's very good that we have a training week before the World Cup starts. However, everyone here is looking forward to racing on this hard track again.
My team is well prepared. The start times are good, and that's the most important thing for us. Other nations like the Austrians or Latvians are just racing as good and also start fast. That's why we have to lay the foundation there. It's good for the young Americans to show what they are capable of at a track where they could built up a small home advantage in recent years. Austria, Italy and Germany got very experienced athletes and will try to stand up to the Americans.
Anna Berreiter (GER): „I'm personally really looking forward to the time in America and Canada because it's a bit more relaxed again. The preparations are always stressful, we do a lot of runs, a lot of testing. That's always stressful for me because perhaps I'm not yet professional enough like other athletes. That's why I'm looking forward to starting again in Lake Placid, concentrating on that and being able to use each run to make the best possible runs. Lake Placid is an almost new track for me as I have only done nine runs there so far.“
Max Langenhan (GER): „It's important for me to stay healthy first. I'm the kind of guy who likes to stumble over a small step. I hope that I can pick up in Lake Placid where I left off in our nomination races, that the runs are stable and that they are all at world-class level in terms of timing. Otherwise it's just down to oneself. Our coaching team is top, the technique is top, the sled is top. All I have to do as Max Langenhan is to bring it down.“
Tobias Wendl (GER): „This is our 16th season and it was important to keep our motivation high over the summer. Once we arrive at a World Cup venue and race five runs, we just reel off our program and know exactly what we have to do. We have a new sled at the start this season and it was our mission in preparation to bring it forward. We're taking the sled to America to give it a chance.“
Tobias Arlt (GER): „We've been to Lake Placid a few times and know the track. We hope that it will be reasonably good and are looking forward to finally getting started. The preparation went well, but it was also very long. Now we're excited to see what the World Cup season will bring.“
Anton Dukach (UKR): „We have arrived well in Lake Placid and are using all the training opportunities we get. Some of our athletes like Nazariy Kachmar (doubles partner of Ihor Hoi) and Oleksandra Mokh (doubles partner of Olena Stetskiv) are here for the first time. This is a challenging track and you have to be prepared for anything. It's good to have a few days of extra training to become more confident. We are very proud to represent Ukraine at the World Cup and want to give our best here.“
Tucker West (USA): „There’s a little bit of a homefield advantage here, but I had a great summer of training and it’s been a fun kickoff event. I knew the field would be strong and they showed up well. It’s been great to share this new facility with the rest of the world. I am now looking forward to starting the season at home. My past success here adds some pressure, but I’m excited to get going.”
Madeleine Egle (AUT): „The inflammation of the bursa in my right shoulder hasn't completely healed yet, but thanks to the excellent care from our team doctor Dr. Stefan Neuhüttler and the great work of the physiotherapists at Löberbauer Performance, things are moving in a positive direction. I hope that I can go all in at the start of the World Cup and get through the season with no injuries. I want to compete for medals at the European Championships at home and at the World Championships in Altenberg, as well as for the overall World Cup. However, I have to be fully in shape for that, otherwise Julia Taubitz and Anna Bereiter in particular will be very difficult to beat. Generally speaking, the stakes are higher for me in Lake Placid, where I achieved an 18th place as my best result. I hope that I can work my way around the track well in the training runs and I'm looking forward to finally switching back to race mode.“
Selina Egle (AUT): „Lara served her basic military service in the army, was delayed in starting team training and then soon had problems with her intervertebral disc. I also had a little bit of a hangover in between because I overdid it a little with the training, so all in all it wasn't perfect preparation. It won't be easy to get started, as neither of us have ever raced in Lake Placid before and the track is difficult, so there will probably be a couple of bruises during the on-site preparation. However, that doesn't change the anticipation for the race and the whole season.“
Wolfgang Kindl (AUT): „I focused more on the double-seater in the preparation, I only did half as many training runs in the single-seater as the rest of the team and tested accordingly little material. The national championship was positive, but apart from that I don't have a comparison. That's why it's difficult to make predictions, which also applies to the double-seater. Winning the nationals gives us confidence, but we don't want to overestimate the result in Igls. The double burden will definitely be a big challenge, but I see it as an additional incentive to becoming even more complete in terms of racing. I'm really looking forward to the season, Lake Placid and Whistler are both tracks where I've already won, so I'm really looking forward to it.“
Chris Mazdzer (USA): „After 25 incredible years of hurtling myself down icy chutes in a spandex suit, I realize that every adrenaline-packed career eventually comes to an end. As I hang up my sled and look back at my luge journey, it's clear that this sport has been the greatest teacher in my life, shaping me in ways I never thought possible. First and foremost, I owe a massive thank you to the real MVPs – my friends and family. While luge may be an individual sport, there's no denying that your unwavering love and support have been a huge part of my success. Reflecting on my career, I hope I achieved my two goals: leaving the sport better than I found it and increasing awareness of luge in the United States. While I can't objectively answer those questions, I feel a sense of accomplishment in these endeavors.“
Schedule & TV coverage
1st EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup, Lake Placid (USA)
Local start time (CET/MEZ)
Thursday, December 7, 2023
10:00 (16:00) Nations Cup
14:00 (20:00) Training seeded group
Friday, December 8, 2023
09:00 (15:00) Men’s Doubles, 1st run
09:48 (15:48) Women’s Doubles, 1st run
10:45 (16:45) Men’s Doubles, 2nd run
11:37 (17:37) Women’s Doubles, 2nd run
12:40 (18:40) Men’s Singles, 1st run
14:10 (20:10) Men’s Singles, 2nd run
Saturday, December 9, 2023
09:30 (15:30) Women’s Singles, 1st run
10:50 (16:50) Women’s Singles, 2nd run
12:15 (18:15) Sprint Men’s Singles
13:00 (19:00) Sprint Women’s Doubles
13:29 (19:29) Sprint Men’s Doubles
14:05 (20:05) Sprint Women
Subject to change without notice!
Information TV-Broadcast: fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/eberspaecher-world-cup-26
FIL YouTube Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@FILLuge_Channel
Link to athletes‘ biographies: Athletes Overview & Achievements - Int. Luge Federation FIL (fil-luge.org)
