Olympic track in Igls for the second time this winter Luge World Cup venue

Olympia-Eiskanal Igls

Innsbruck (FIL) Already for the second time this winter, the 1976 Olympic ice track in Innsbruck-Igls will be the venue of the EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup on the weekend of January 23 and 24, 2021. World Cup points will still be awarded in a total of three races per discipline. Two of them will take place in Innsbruck next weekend. In addition to the classic EBERSPÄCHER World Cup in the disciplines Women's and Men's singles as well as in Doubles, Innsbruck will also host the third and last BMW Sprint World Cup of the season.

The World Cup final will then see the Swiss winter sports resort of St. Moritz on 6 and 7 February 2021, after the 50th FIL World Championships in Königssee (GER). 

On 28 and 29 November 2020, the women's and men's luge athletes started the current season in the Olympic track in Tyrol. The podium after the first women's race of the EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup 2020/21 was a completely German one. Overall World Cup winner Julia Taubitz won ahead of Natalie Geisenberger and Dajana Eitberger. World champion Ekatarina Katnikova from Russia came in fourth ahead of the two Austrians Madeleine Egle and Lisa Schulte. Austria's doubles started the season with a double victory on home ice. Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller won ahead of Yannick Müller and Armin Frauscher. In the men's event, Felix Loch's winning streak began with the season opener in Innsbruck. The three-time Olympic champion from Germany set the fastest time in both runs on the Olympic track at the foot of the Patscherkofel mountain. Loch's teammate Johannes Ludwig came in second. The podium was completed by Dominik Fischnaller. The Italian was 0.180 seconds behind Loch. There were no big surprises at the BMW Sprint World Cup in Innsbruck-Igls on Sunday, 29 November in Innsbruck-Igls. Taubitz, Loch and Steu/Koller repeated their victories also in the sprint.

Innsbruck penultimate World Cup stop

Olympia-Eiskanal Innsbruck

On the weekend of 23 and 24 January 2021, the tenth and eleventh races of a total of twelve in the fight for the big crystal globes in the 2020/21 EBERSPÄCHER World Cup will take place in the Olympic ice track in Igls. 50 men, 48 women and 29 doubles from a total of 24 nations will be at the start in Innsbruck.
In the fight for the big crystal globe, which is awarded for 12 World Cup races (nine classic World Cups and three sprint races), the chances of the opponents of three-time Olympic champion Felix Loch are only theoretical. Six-time overall World Cup winner Loch has 855 points with three World Cup races left, second-placed Johannes Ludwig 565. In view of this lead, Loch recently joked: "I should win the overall World Cup now after all. I already get a few points just by competing." But that is not the 6-time overall World Cup winner's ambition: "I want to continue to race at the top, also again in Igls." Loch has 47 World Cup victories up till now.

With three races left, two of them at home in Innsbruck-Igls, the Austrians Steu/Koller can look with satisfaction at the standings in the overall World Cup. Thomas Steu from Vorarlberg and Lorenz Koller from Tyrol extended their lead in the overall World Cup to 96 points with their eighth World Cup victory last weekend in Oberhof. "For the overall World Cup, the victory in Oberhof was a finger pointing", Steu said. The duo leads with 741 points, the Germans Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken follow with 645. "For the overall World Cup you have to be realistic," Benecken admitted, "with the result in Oberhof, where we could have made up a few points, it will be very difficult now."
In women's singles, Natalie Geisenberger's 50th World Cup victory on Sunday, 17 January 2021, has given her some breathing space over her team-mate and pursuer Julia Taubitz. Defending champion Taubitz had luged to fifth place behind Russia's Tatyana Ivanova in Oberhof. Geisenberger has 780 points with three races left, Taubitz 706. Austria's Madeleine Egle is third with 521 points.  

BMW Sprint World Cup to be decided in Igls

BMW Sprint Igls 2020, Men

In Igls the small JOSKA crystal balls are awarded for the BMW Sprint World Cup. The third of a total of three sprints is coming up. For the overall ranking in the BMW Sprint, the times of the three races were always added up until now. In the season 2020/21 there is a new mode for the BMW Sprint World Cup after also World Cup points are awarded, as in the classic World Cup. After two of three sprints Julia Taubitz (GER), Felix Loch (GER) and Steu/Koller (AUT) are in the lead.
            

Quotes:

Rene Friedl (Austrian Head Coach & Sports Director): "After the small setback in Sigulda, we redeemed ourselves in Oberhof with a very concentrated and sporting, great performance and proved that we belong to the absolute world's best. To be on the podium in Oberhof in all disciplines is almost historic, congratulations to the whole team! We have to take our hats off to Madeleine in particular, her overall package is absolutely on point at the moment, apart from the impressive performance at the start, the performance in the track is also perfect. We are now moving to Austria, the anticipation for the home World Cup next weekend is clearly noticeable, we want to continue the performances of Oberhof in Igls."

Felix Loch: “I have surprised myself by my consistency this season. I wouldn't have expected it like this before. Of course that's very nice and I could slowly get used to it. Now it should also work out with the overall World Cup. 
Last week I think there was the European Bobsleigh Cup in Igls. That will be interesting. I hope they will make an effort there and prepare the track well for us. My goal is to do every run cleanly, also in training. Then it will be the best preparation for the World Championships”.

Steu / Koller, Oberhof 2021

Natalie Geisenberger: "It was about time to win. I've waited long enough, and it means something to me that I can stand at the top again. A 50th victory like this means that I have also been quite good a few other times. It's also very special now, because the 50th victory is also the first after the birth of my son."

Thomas Steu: "I am almost speechless how things are going with us at the moment and I can only thank the whole team for their great work and support. Our joy is now very great because it will now continue on our home track."

Julia Taubitz: "I am really looking forward to Innsbruck. I love being there and I also love tobogganing on the track in Igls. I'm going into the races this week relaxed and motivated."

David Gleirscher: "After the last two races were very disappointing for me, Oberhof was a very important weekend, also with regard to the World Cup nomination. I am very satisfied with my performance and happy that I was able to score again. Now the anticipation for our home World Cup next weekend is even greater."

 

Schedule 8th EBERSPÄCHER World Cup 2020/21 in Innsbruck:

Friday, January 22nd, 2021
09:00  Nations Cup, Award Ceremony
14:30  Training seeding-group

Doubles Igls ITA

Saturday, January 23rd, 2021
09:05  1st run Doubles
10:25  2nd run Doubles

11:45  1st run Men's singles
13:15  2nd run Men's singles

Sunday, January 24th, 2021
08:55  1st run Women's singles
10:20   2nd run Women's singles

11.45    BMW Sprint World Cup, Men
12.30    BMW Sprint World Cup, Doubles
13.05    BMW Sprint World Cup, Women

Times CET / Subject to change