Preview 52nd FIL Luge World Championships 2024 in Altenberg (GER)
Who will win the World Championship medals?
Altenberg (FIL) This weekend, from January 25 to 28, 2024, the 52nd FIL Luge World Championships will take place on the SachsenEnergie-Eiskanal in Altenberg (GER). For the third time after 1996 and 2012, the FIL Luge World Championships will be held in Saxony on one of the most challenging artificial ice tracks in the world. A total of 162 athletes from 21 nations have registered for this year's championships, including 39 women, 37 men, 17 women's doubles, 26 men's doubles and 9 team relays. The opening ceremony will take place on Thursday evening, January 25, 2024, 7:00 pm on the stage in the winter village on the skiing slope in Altenberg.
The World Championship medals will be awarded in the women's and men's singles, men's and women's doubles, team relay and sprint single and doubles competitions. Apart from the team relay and the sprint competitions, two decisive runs are scheduled in each event.
On Friday, 26 January 2024, the sprint races are scheduled from 13:00. During the sprint qualification in the morning, hundreds of schoolchildren from Altenberg and the surrounding area will cheer on the athletes at the "Day of the Schools". Saturday, January 27, 2024, will be kicked off by the women's doubles at 8:50 a.m., the men's singles will start at 11:00 a.m. and the men's doubles will compete for World Championship medals from 2:00 p.m. onwards. On Sunday, January 28, 2024, it will be the turn of the women's singles from 10:45 a.m., before the big World Championship final takes place at 2:00 p.m. with the team relay.
Trophies and medals will be presented to the best-placed athletes on Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. at the World Championship award ceremonies on stage in the Altenberg Winter Village. Afterwards, athletes, fans and guests can celebrate together in the party tent.
Extensive construction work on the SachsenEnergie ice track
In order to make the SachsenEnergie ice track fit not only for the World Championships, but also for the future, the track site in Altenberg's Kohlgrund was once again transformed into a major construction site last summer. Numerous large and small projects were and are on the agenda. The federal, state and district governments have invested around 3.5 million euros, in addition to the WiA's own contributions of around 75,000 euros.
Among other things, the roofing at the women's start was significantly extended towards curve 3 and the transition over the track was completely rebuilt. From the loop to curve 11, the track has been given a new roof and a new, wider transition over the ice track. A material control room was built at the weighing house, which was connected directly to the loading plateau by means of a ramp. This is where the sliders' equipment will be checked in future, and the room can also be used as a maintenance room. The largest construction project was the expansion of the finishing area. The area of the so-called "plate" with weighing house, mixed zone and winners' podium was doubled in the direction of the braking slope. In addition, a further building with toilet facilities for athletes, officials and spectators, changing and storage rooms and a new "Kufenstüberl" were constructed here. At the same time, the spectator stand below the Panoramabaude was also doubled in size. There will be room for 2000 people in future.
Who will win the World Championship medals?
After last year's FIL Luge World Championships in Oberhof (GER), Anna Berreiter (GER) and Jonas Müller (AUT) will be the defending champions in the single-seater and Felix Loch and Dajana Eitberger (both GER) in the sprint single-seater. However, Dajana Eitberger has ended her singles career and has been chasing medals in the women's doubles with Saskia Schirmer since this season. Germany's Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal will compete in both the women's doubles and the sprint doubles as defending champions. Their former teammates Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken will not be able to defend their two World Championship titles from last year, as they ended their successful careers before the start of the season. However, both are still involved in the sport of luge as a coach (Toni Eggert) and YOG ambassador (Sascha Benecken). The World Championship victory in the team relay went to Team Germany in 2023.
The World Championship dress rehearsal took place in 2023 with the FIL EBERSPAECHER World Cup in Altenberg. Three World Cup victories went to Germany with Julia Taubitz, Max Langenhan and Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken. Italy's Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer took victory in the women's doubles, while Team Austria won the team relay. The World Cup races so far this season have shown that very exciting World Championship races can be expected in all disciplines.
Everyone is chasing Max Langenhan
Looking at the five World Cups this season, Max Langenhan (GER) will be the top favorite for the World Championships. No wonder: the 24-year-old from Thuringia is the only one who has finished on the podium in all races, four of them at the top. Up until the European Championships in Innsbruck, he was unbeaten in eight consecutive World Cups over the course of the season, finishing in third place behind Austria's Jonas Müller and Nico Gleirscher. These three also lead the overall World Cup rankings, but everyone also has Langenhan's team-mate Felix Loch on their radar. The three-time Olympic champion is currently the most successful luger at the World Championships with six gold and three silver medals. In the all-time leaderboard, only Armin Zöggeler is ahead of Loch, who has also won a bronze medal at the World Championships. Loch could therefore draw even with bronze and even make history with silver or gold and take the lead in the all-time World Championship leaderboard.
World Championship duel Julia Taubitz & Madeleine Egle
In women's singles, the obligatory duel between Julia Taubitz (GER) and Madeleine Egle (AUT) is once again on the agenda. While the Austrian has already celebrated three World Cup victories, the German is the most consistent luger in this year's World Cup with two wins and three second places. The 27-year-old from Saxony grew up on the artificial track in Altenberg and knows every bend like the back of her hand. The fact that the track is considered one of the most difficult in the world and has its challenges was demonstrated at the German Championships at the end of December, during which Taubitz crashed despite all her experience in training and was unable to compete in the national championships. Nevertheless, she is still the big favorite on her home track. Alongside Madeleine Egle and the reigning world champion Anna Berreiter, the Americans Summer Britcher, Emily Sweeney and Ashley Farquharson and the Latvians will also be aiming for the world championship medals. After six-time Olympic champion Natalie Geisenberger (GER) ended her long career, Julia Taubitz also leads the World Championship rankings of active female lugers with one gold and three silver medals.
Open World Championship race in Men's Doubles
With three golds, five silvers and one bronze at the World Championships, three-time Olympic champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt lead the World Championship rankings. Following the retirement of their team-mates and defending World Championship title holders Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken, they could easily be considered the favorites. However, with five different winners in five World Cup races this season, the men's doubles are currently really thrilling. Alongside Wendl/Arlt, who have finished on the podium four times so far, the newly formed Austrian doubles pairing of Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl has been particularly impressive. After finishing second three times in a row, they recently claimed their first shared World Cup victory at their home World Cup in Innsbruck-Igls and can therefore justifiably hope for World Championship gold. Further competitors come from their own country with Juri Gatt/Riccardo Schöpf, while the Latvians Martins Bots/Roberts Plume are in equally impressive form as the young German doubles Hannes Orlamünder/Paul Gubitz and the US-Americans Zachary Di Gregorio / Sean Hollander already clinched a victory at the World Cup opener on their home track in Lake Placid.
Degenhardt/Rosenthal want to defend their title
The Germans also have a hot potato in the women's doubles in the fire at their home World Championships. Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal are not only the defending champions, but have also won the last three World Cup races. The Italians Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer, who won the World Cup at the World Championship dress rehearsal in Altenberg, were always close behind. The Vice World Champions Selina Egle/Lara Kipp and the newly formed German women's doubles team of Dajana Eitberger/Saskia Schirmer are also aiming for medals. Even though the track at the Altenberger Kohlgrund is not one of Eitberger's favorite tracks, the 33-year-old can rely on her years of experience in the ice track. The Americans Chevonne Forgan/Sophia Kirkby have already made it onto the podium twice this season. The sixth-placed finishers at the World Championships in Oberhof could spring a surprise.
Preview FIL Team Relay World Championships
The team relay has traditionally been the final event since 2008 and is always one of the emotional highlights of the World Championships due to the reactive start and the error rate at the changeover touchpad. Since the 2008 World Championships in Oberhof, only Team Germany has stood on the podium in all eleven relay decisions, nine times at the top. Team Latvia has won silver twice and bronze five times, Team Austria has won gold once and silver four times and Team Canada has won silver once and bronze three times.
At the 2023 World Championships in Oberhof, Germany won with Anna Berreiter, Max Langenhan and the men’s doubles of Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken ahead of Team Austria and Team Latvia.For the first time the women's doubles will also be integrated into the team relay in Altenberg, i.e. a team consists of four sleds. The starting order of the team relay, which is raced without interruption of time in one go with four sleds and six athletes, will be the women's singles as the first starter, then the men's doubles, the men's singles and finally the women's doubles.
In the current World Cup season, Germany and Austria have won the three relay races amongst themselves, with Team Germany winning twice. Team USA is also proving very strong with two third places. The teams from Latvia and Italy are also hoping for medals. The world championship team relay will be held on Sunday, January 28, starting at 14:00. Each nation will decide on the relay line-ups themselves, but usually the best athletes in the men's and women's singles and the men's and women's doubles will start.
Preview FIL Sprint World Championships
Held for the first time in 2016 at the World Championships in Koenigssee (GER), the World Championship medals in Sprint are awarded after only one competition run. After a flying start, timing starts at the earliest 100 meters after the starting block under a marked arc, the finish timing eye is located after the finish curve analogous to the regular races.
Team Germany has proven to be the sprint kings in the previous editions: In the past six Sprint World Championships, German luge athletes won 28 medals, almost half of the 57 awarded. Eleven times gold, eight times silver and ten times bronze were won by the team of national coach Norbert Loch. In 2016 there was even a complete men's podium, in 2019, 2021 and 2023 a complete women's podium.
At the last World Championships in Oberhof in 2023, Dajana Eitberger (GER) won the women's event ahead of her teammates Julia Taubitz and Anna Berreiter. Felix Loch (GER) topped the podium in the men's singles, followed by Jonas Müller (AUT) and teammate Max Langenhan. In the men's doubles, Eggert/Benecken won the World Championship race ahead of their teammates Wendl/Arlt (GER) and the Austrians Müller/Frauscher. In the women's doubles, Degenhardt/Rosenthal (GER) celebrated World Championship gold ahead of Egle/Kipp (AUT) and Vötter/Oberhofer (ITA).
With three golds, two silvers and one bronze, Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER) are by far the most successful athletes in men's doubles sprint World Championship history. Qualifying runs for the Sprint World Championships will be held from 8:30 a.m. on Friday, January 26, 2023. The 15 fastest sleds (male and female singles and doubles) will qualify for the Sprint World Championships from 1 p.m.
52nd FIL Luge World Championships in Altenberg (GER)
Local start time (=CET/MEZ)
Friday, January 26, 2024
08:30 Qualification Sprint
13:00 Sprint Men’s Doubles
13:55 Sprint Women's Singles
14:45 Sprint Men’s Singles
15:40 Sprint Women’s Doubles
Saturday, January 27, 2024
08:50 Women’s Doubles, 1st run
09:55 Women’s Doubles, 2nd run
11:00 Men’s Singles, 1st run
12:45 Men’s Singles, 2nd run
14:00 Men’s Doubles, 1st run
15:15 Men’s Doubles, 2nd run
Sunday, January 28, 2024
10:45 Women’s Singles, 1st run
12:20 Women’s Singles, 2nd run
14:00 Team Relay
Live TV-Broadcast: fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/fil-world-championships-10
Link to athletes‘ biographies: Athletes Overview & Achievements - Int. Luge Federation FIL (fil-luge.org)
