Season review episode 5 of 6 / Men's doubles: double success at the World Championships
and overall World Cup victory for Austria

Berchtesgaden (FIL/23 Apr. 2024) Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schöpf won World Championship gold in the doubles, followed by their team-mates Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl. The 52nd FIL World Championships 2024 in Altenberg (GER) were a mega success for the team from Austria.

Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt were able to continue their streak. "We've made it onto the podium at every major event since 2013," said a delighted Wendl. However, they had to stretch themselves mightily in the second run to secure third place at the 2024 World Championships. The Latvians Eduards Sevics-Mikelsevics and Lukass Krasts piled on the pressure from behind.

Overall World Cup for Steu/Kindl

What a success story for Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl - the Austrian duo only joined forces this season. And were awarded the big crystal globe at the season finale of the EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup in Sigulda. Third place in the final race was enough. Their lead over their German rivals Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt, who finished second behind local heroes Martins Bots and Roberts Plume, was too big. The final score in the overall World Cup was: Winner Steu/Kindl with 966 points ahead of Wendl/Arlt (885) and Bots/Plume (876).

With 736 points, the young German duo Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz luged to fourth place overall ahead of the World Champions Juri Gatt/Ricchardo Schöpf from Austria (701) and the best Italian doubles Emmanuel Rieder/Simon Kainzwaldner (566).

With their 53rd World Cup victory in Whistler, Canada, in December 2023, the six-time Olympic Champions Wendl/Arlt (3x in doubles and 3x in team-relay) are now just one win away from catching up with the leaders Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken (also Germany) in the all-time leaderboard.

Eggert/Benecken were officially retired from competitive sport at the 2024 Home World Cup in Oberhof. Eggert worked as a luge coach for the USA team last season. But now the luge world is on the brink of a spectacular comeback: Toni Eggert, the eleven-time World Champion and Olympic medal winner, announced his comeback on the doubles at the end of February. His new partner will be Florian Müller from Saxony.