Preview FIL Sprint World Championships 2023 in Oberhof
Oberhof (FIL/23 Jan 2023) 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 sprint kings in the previous editions: At the past five Sprint World Championships, German luge athletes won just under half of the 45 World Championship medals awarded, with 21. Nine times gold, five times silver and seven times bronze were won by the team of national coach Norbert Loch. In 2016 there was even a complete men's podium, in 2019 and 2021 a complete women's podium.
At the last World Championships in 2021 at Königssee, Julia Taubitz (GER) won the women's singles event ahead of her teammates Anna Berreiter and Dajana Eitberger. In the men's singles race, Austria's Nico Gleirscher topped the podium, followed by Semen Pavlichenko (RUS) and Nico's older brother David Gleirscher. In the men's doubles Wendl/Arlt (GER) won the World Championship race ahead of Latvians Sics/Sics and their teammates Eggert/Benecken (GER). A Sprint World Championship in women's doubles has not been held yet.
With three gold, one silver and one bronze Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt (GER) in men's doubles are by far the most successful athletes in Sprint World Championship's history. They had last won the Sprint World Cup in Park City (USA) in the current season, but with six different doubles on two podiums no favorite can be identified.
In the women's singles event, Julia Taubitz was the only one to stand on the podium twice and leads the Sprint World Cup ranking ahead of teammate Dajana Eitberger and Madeleine Egle (AUT). In the men's singles race, only Italy's Dominik Fischnaller landed on the podium twice. David Gleirscher (AUT) and his teammate Wolfgang Kindl follow in the ranking. The situation is different in the women's doubles: Both sprint victories of the season went to the young Austrians Selina Egle/Lara Kipp ahead of Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer (ITA).
Qualifying runs will be held for the Sprint World Championships 2023 in Oberhof on Friday, January 27, starting at 9 am. The fastest 15 sleds (in singles and doubles each female and male) will qualify for the Sprint World Championships starting at 1 pm.
Competition schedule of the 51st FIL Luge World Championships in Oberhof (GER)
Local start time (=CET/MEZ)
Thursday, January 26, 2023
09:00 hrs seeded training
12:30 Preliminary heats
18:00 Opening ceremony in the Kurpark
Friday, 27 January 2023
09:00 Qualification Sprint
13:00 h Sprint Men Doubles
13:25 Sprint Ladies Doubles
14:15 h Sprint Ladies
15:10 h Sprint Men
18:00 Award ceremonies in the Kurpark
Saturday, 28 January 2023
08:25 Men's doubles, 1st run
09:25 hrs Ladies doubles, 1st run
10:15 Men's doubles, 2nd run
10:50 hrs Ladies doubles, 2nd run
11:45 Ladies, 1st run
13:15 Women, 2nd run
18:00 Award ceremonies in the Kurpark
Sunday, January 29, 2023
10:00 Men, 1st run
11:35 a.m. Men, 2nd run
13:40 Team relay
Followed by award ceremonies and closing ceremony in the EISARENA.
All information is without guarantee.
