Last World Championship rehearsals - First season’s overall champion might be determined
Altenberg (pps) An anniversary – last rehearsals for the World Championships – possibly the first overall World Cup winner in the post-Olympic season will be determined: The 20th edition of the Viessmann Luge World Cup on the artificially-iced track in Altenberg will simultaneously serve as a last rehearsal for the 42nd FIL World Luge Championships one week later in Cesana, Italy, as well as the 43rd FIL Luge Worlds that will be carried out in Altenberg in 2012. Quite fittingly for an anniversary the first overall champion this season will possibly be crowned, receiving the Joska Cup.
Should Germany’s relay team win the fifth event in the Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by Money Service Group, they will definitely have clinched the overall title. After their victories in Innsbruck-Igls, Winterberg, Koenigssee and Oberhof, the German quartet is heading the overall rankings with 400 points - the ideal number of points possible while runners-up Italy have earned 295 points. Should Germany thus remain undefeated in the fifth of the altogether six events in the Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by Money Service Group, no other team will be able to close the gap of then more than 100 points at the final in Sigulda, Latvia, on February 20, 2011.
In contrast, the situation in the women’s and men’s singles as well as in the doubles remains unsettled. Even though Olympic champion Tatjana Huefner of Germany is taking great strides toward winning her fourth consecutive overall World Cup victory, she cautioned against raising expectations too high. “Admittedly, it’s been going quite well. But it makes no sense thinking about the overall World Cup”, explained the two-time World champion. Heading to the next World Cup event in Altenberg, Huefner enjoys a comfortable lead of 110 points compared to team-mate and long-time rival Natalie Geisenberger.
Topping the overall standings in the men’s singles, Italy’s Armin Zoeggeler, who had to content with a fifth place in Oberhof, boasts a 80 points lead. However, on the demanding track in Altenberg, the 37-year old luger from South Tyrol already celebrated eight victories. But Zoeggeler’s currently strongest competitor, Felix Loch of Germany, earned his first World Cup victory last year in Altenberg…
In the doubles‘ the German team with Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt seems to enjoy their position at the top of the rankings. “Well, the overall victory wasn’t our season’s goal. But now we intend to earn not only a podium finish at the Worlds and we want the overall victory, too,” explained Wendl. Wendl-Arlt have collected 530 points which gives them a 45 points lead over runners-up Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber (485) of Italy. On third place are Austria’s Andreas Linger-Wolfgang Linger, with 392 points to their credit.
