Preview Doubles: Wendl/Arlt will be hard to beat – only Eggert/Benecken have a chance

Königssee (RWH) Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt already hold a major record, are in possession of the yellow jersey as leaders of the Viessmann Luge World Cup, and have probably made the most important discovery of the winter to date. “Our box is working well,” says Tobias Wendl, who alongside partner Tobias Arlt is Olympic Champion, two-time World Champion and hot favorite for the 46th International Luge Federation (FIL) World Championships on the artificial ice track in Königssee.

The “box”, as Tobias Wendl jokingly calls his sled, is actually nothing short of excellent. At the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Oberhof, the duo were six tenths of a second in front after two runs, an eternity in the only winter sport which measures time in thousandths of a second. The following day, the “box” carried its pilots to their 34th career win, this time in the BMW Sprint World Cup, allowing Wendl/Arlt to draw level with previous record-breaking champions Patric Leitner/Alexander Resch. And now comes their home World Championships in Königssee (January 30, 2016: 1st run at 12:45 / 2nd run at 14:00), where the local heroes are always hard to beat. What could possibly go wrong?

“Our sled is completely set up for Königssee,” says Toni Eggert. The overall winners of last year’s World Cup have also taken three victories so far this season, in Innsbruck (AUT), Lake Placid (USA) and Calgary (CAN). Eggert/Benecken only lost their lead in the overall standings because of a crash in the first race in Sigulda. “It’s win or bust for us,” was Eggert’s comment on a mistake which could have serious implications by the end of the World Cup season.

The Austrian pairing of Peter Penz/Georg Fischler could well intervene in the intra-German championship battle. Having finished as World Championship silver medallists in Sigulda in 2015, they have been a model of consistency this season, with four second places, three third places, one fourth and one fifth places so far. “When it works, it works well,” was the verdict of Peter Penz.

The triumvirate of Wendl/Arlt, Eggert/Benecken and Penz/Fischler have been the main players this winter, with a substantial gap behind them. Christian Oberstolz/Patrick Gruber, the Italian veterans in their 17th season, may be in the autumn of their careers but they are experiencing a renaissance of sorts, as they showed by taking a surprise win at the BMW Sprint World Cup in Park City. Both Latvian duos have also made it onto the podium. Andris Sics/Juris Sics, Olympic silver medallists in 2010 and Olympic bronze medallists in 2014, have twice finished third, while their compatriots Oskars Gudramovics/Peteris Kalnins even managed second on their home track in Sigulda.