Wendl-Arlt: Calculating daredevils
Whistler (pps) Idols? “Well, my father once said that you shouldn’t follow in the footsteps of your predecessors. It’s better to leave your own marks,” is the philosophical approach and answer of Tobias Wendl (photo, left). Together with his partner Tobias Arlt (photo, right) he puts this advice consequently into practice. As a matter of fact, both “Tobis” are leaving deep tracks in the ice labyrinths throughout the world as they have thus far celebrated five victories in seven Viessmann Luge World Cup events in the pre-Olympic season.
“Tobi Wendl still is a daredevil. But in the meantime he’s learned to use his brain while racing,” explained Germany’s head coach Norbert Loch. Wendl and Arlt, on the other hand, unanimously explain their booming success: “We’ve become mentally stronger.” Additionally, the doubles team changed their training program last summer – upon the advice of Patric Leitner, 2002 Olympic and four-time World Champion in the doubles with Alexander Resch, who graduated from the coaching academy in Cologne and is now acting as athletics coach for the Bavarian doubles team. Wendl: “His knowledge is cutting edge“.
Moreover the former competitors Wendl-Arlt - until the 2010 Olympic Games both teams competed against each other - greatly profit from Leitner’s wealth of experience. “Hopefully he’ll continue to drop hot tips.” After all, the two 25-year olds intend to put an end to their “title drought” at World Championships. So far, the doubles team has only a silver medal at the 2008 Worlds back home in Oberhof to their credit. Then, at the World Championships in Altenberg, they missed a bronze medal by seven thousands of a second. According to Wendl-Arlt both grew living through the experience. Wendl: “Only those who can live through a defeat know how to savor victories.”
Austria’s Andreas Linger-Wolfgang Linger celebrated numerous victories in the past. But the defending champions, who won their second gold medal in the doubles at the 2010 Olympic Games in Whistler after 2006 in Turin, are travelling to the Worlds in Canada with just one victory. They claimed a top spot on the podium at the last World Cup event ahead of the Worlds, in Winterberg. Prior to that, the team of brothers secured just one podium finish, a third place in Koenigssee in December 2012. With five podium finishes Peter Penz-Georg Fischler have taken over the leading role within Austria’s national team this season.
Apart from these two red-white-red doubles teams, further medal candidates are Toni Eggert-Sascha Benecken (GER), in second position in the overall Viessmann Luge World Cup standings. However, Tristan Walker-Justin Snith should not be underestimated as they will be competing in front of a home crowd. Even though both are just 21 years of age, they have been on the Viessmann Luge World Cup circuit for four years now. This season, they earned two sixth-place finishes in Altenberg and Koenigssee, their best results in Europe so far.
