Preview 2nd and 3rd EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup in Sochi -
Russia hosts two luge World Cups for the first time

Sochi (FIL) For the first time in the history of Russian luge, two World Cups in a row will be held at the 2014 Olympic track in Sochi. The second and third EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup of the 2021/22 Olympic season will take place from 27 to 28 November 2021 and from 04 to 05 December 2021 at the Sliding Center Sanki. Most recently, the 49th FIL World Championships took place in the Krasnodar Region on the Black Sea from 14 to 16 February 2020.

While the schedule of the second EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup includes a Team Relay race on Sunday, the third EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup will end with a BMW Sprint World Cup on Sunday.

Since 2013, luge competitions have been held in Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi. More than 250 international athletes, coaches and support staff from 27 countries travelled from China to Russia on 22 November on a charter flight of the International Luge Federation, FIL. During the two weeks, the athletes will compete in ten different races for World Cup points and the Olympic qualification for Beijing 2022.

Only a few guests of honour will take part in the competitions in Sochi, such as the President of the International Luge Federation, FIL, Einars Fogelis, Russian politicians and officials, the leadership of the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation and the Krasnodar Region as well as the Mayor of Sochi. Due to the current COVID-19 situation, no spectators are allowed at either EBERSPÄCHER World Cup in Sochi.

The Russian team is coming home from Beijing and wants to prove its performance there after the team underperformed at the World Cup opener on the new Olympic track and remained without medals. Russia's team had to struggle with a difficult race preparation due to isolation of the whole team as contacts and thus daily training only in the evening hours, in the last group. On home ice, World Champion Roman Repilov and his teammates now want to show their performance. After all, the team had won eight of the 19 possible medals at the 2020 World Championships. At that time, Germany won five World Championship medals, including two titles in the team relay and through the doubles Toni Eggert / Sascha Benecken. Germany's head coach Norbert Loch is full of fight: "We have a lot to make up for in Sochi from the 2020 World Championships and want to attack and fight for victory in all disciplines".

Quotes:

World Champion Toni Eggert, GER: "At the opening race in China we skied mostly clean for the relatively little experience we have on this track so far. Now we have to stabilise the track for the next races and work on the driving position to become a bit faster. We have good memories of Sochi. Here we became World Champions twice in 2020 - in the doubles and with the team relay."

Rene Friedl, Head Coach and Sports Director, AUT: "We saw last weekend that the Olympic track in Yanqing is demanding, apart from very few exceptions everyone made mistakes there. We are absolutely satisfied with the performance of the doubles. Steu/Koller got the best out of their mistakes. In the men's event we gave away better results, which is a pity. Now it's on to Sochi and we have to concentrate fully. We want to continue our results from the World Cup opener and have a say in all disciplines again".

Thomas Steu, AUT (Overall World Cup Winner 2021, Doubles): "We are really satisfied with the result of the first World Cup, but not so much with our performance. The important thing is that we had two and a half very good weeks and got used to the track very well. We know that the material is running great here, now it's about getting consistency in the runs."

Lorenz Koller, AUT (Overall World Cup Winner 2021, Doubles): "Not everything was perfect in the races in Yanqing, we know what we can do better at the Olympic Games."

Olympic Champion David Gleirscher, AUT: "My performance in the first two races was definitely disappointing, especially the second run was just bad, there is not much to talk about. The basic speed is very positive, I will definitely take that into the next races. Johannes Ludwig was in a class of his own at the start of the season. I would have been the only one who could keep up with him to some extent, so it's a lost second place. Next week, new luck. I will attack again and I still have some things to make up from the 2020 World Championships in Sochi".

Johannes Ludwig, GER (Olympic Bronze Medalist 2018): "That was a good start into the season at the World Cup opener in Beijing. My goal was to find my way around the new track first. Then I got better and better and during the World Cup week I really enjoyed the Olympic track. The result was a great debut and shows that the German team is on the right track. Nevertheless, many behind me had major driving errors, so the lead is deceptive. And I prefer to be careful with my statements, because other external conditions can change a lot. In any case, I am happy and try to take the momentum into the coming World Cups."

Felix Loch, GER (Olympic Champion 2010 and 2014): "I can be really happy that I finished second in the first World Cup. To still be in sixth place with the huge skiing mistake in the first run, I was very surprised about that. There is still potential for improvement. The start of the season was difficult, but it's over now. Of course it's nice to start with a triple success.

In Sochi week we have to attack again and do better with better runs. You simply need those if you want to race for victory."

Madeleine Egle, AUT: "It's really cool that I now have a World Cup victory and can take the yellow starting number with me. The beginning was a bit bumpy, I had a hard time in training. Then it got better and better, but I didn't expect to win. Sometimes there are surprises. I am absolutely satisfied and hope it continues like this."

Lisa Schulte, AUT: "I even had to shed a few tears at the finish because it was very emotional. There were one or two slips, but I am very satisfied with my runs and absolutely happy with the result. The fact that I made it to the podium for the first time on the Olympic track of all places is a real highlight for me".

Chris Mazdzer, USA (Olympic Silver Medalist 2018): "We are very happy about the team relay silver at the season opener in China. Jayson and I pulled ourselves together. We couldn't have been expected to compete at all. Our young teammates Dana Kellogg and Duncan Segger would have actually qualified for the relay race. They gave us that chance, otherwise we would have been left without competitive races before the Beijing Olympics in February".

Jayson Terdiman, USA (2-times Olympian): "It was a great team effort. Thanks to Dana and Duncan for the starting spot. For Ashley it was her first ever World Cup medal and I'm really happy she was able to be there. Tucker with the fastest reaction as always, and Chris and I, being the older athletes that we are, pulled a good reaction for our age, and we rode the rails down. It’s always great to be a part of the team relay and happy to walk away from China with a silver medal".

Competition schedule:

local times Sotschi (CET / EST)

2nd EBERSAECHER Luge World Cup

Saturday 27.11.2021 Eberspächer Luge World Cup

10:30 Doubles (CET 8:30am / EST 2:30am)
11:50 Doubles (CET 9:50am / EST 3:50am)

13:45 Women (CET 11:45 / EST 5:45am)
15:10 Women (13:10)

Sunday 28.11.2021 Eberspächer Luge World Cup

10:50 Men (CET 8:50am / EST 2:50am)
12:25 Men  (CET 10:25 / EST 4:25am)

14:30 Eberspächer Team Relay World Cup (CET 12:30 / EST 6:30am)

3rd EBERSAECHER Luge World Cup

Saturday 04.12.2021 Eberspächer Luge World Cup

10:30 Doubles (CET 8:30am / EST 2:30am)
11:50 Doubles (CET 9:50am /EST 3:50am)

13:45 Men (CET 11:45 / EST 5:45am)
15:20 Men (CET 13:20 / EST 7:20am)

Sunday 05.12.2021 Eberspächer Luge World Cup

10:30 Women (CET 8:30am / EST 2:30am)
11:55 Women (CET 9:55 / EST 3:30)

BMW Sprint World Cup presented by BMW

13:30 Men (CET 11:30am / EST 5:30am)
14:15 Doubles (CET 12:15 / EST 6:15am)
14:50 Women (CET 12:50 / EST 6:50am)