Nagano (pps) Armin Zoeggeler (Italy) is still waiting for his 33 rd World Cup victory so that he may draw level with record-winners Markus Prock (Austria) and Germany’s Georg Hackl. At the same time, the five-time World champion (1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005) has to fend off David Moeller of Germany. Thanks to his success in Calgary Moeller has reduced the gap to Zoeggeler in the overall rankings to a mere 15 points.

The track in Nagano, the 4 th venue of the Viessmann Luge World Cup, is rather to David Moeller’s liking: When the now 24-year-old from Thuringia claimed the 2004 World championship title in Nagano, Armin Zoeggeler had failed to make the podium. “Apart from Calgary the track in Nagano is one of my favourites”, explained David Moeller.

With six athletes from six different nations on the first six positions the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Calgary offered a colourful competition. The same applies to the overall World Cup standings with as many different nations claiming the top positions as hardly ever before. Armin Zoeggeler is currently heading the overall rankings with 260 points, followed by Moeller (245), Switzerland’s Stefan Hoehener (190), who will not compete in Nagano next weekend, Italy’s Reinhold Rainer (176), Martins Rubenis (145) from Latvia, Martin Abentung (Austria) and Johannes Ludwig (Germany), both tied at 131 points.