Winterberg (pps) At the penultimate event of the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Winterberg next weekend, the first overall World Cup champion might be determined. Germany’s Silke Kraushaar-Pielach, a bit hapless at the World Championships in Igls, just needs to manage a fifth place finish at the last two events in Winterberg and Sigulda in order to claim the overall World Cup trophy for the fifth time.
This feat would turn the 36-year old from Thuringia into the sole record winner in the women’s singles. So far, both Silke Kraushaar-Pielach (1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02 2005-06) and her colleague Sylke Otto (1994-95, 1999-2000, 2002-04, 2003-04), who has retired from her career in January, have captured four overall World Cup titles. Prior to the event in Winterberg, the 1998 Olympic champion enjoys a comfortable lead of 155 points over her competitors. Second-placed Tatjana Huefner (Germany), who achieved her first World Championship title in Igls, currently boasts 530 points. She could achieve a maximum of 730 points - winning the last two events in Winterberg and Sigulda. This is why 2004 World champion Kraushaar-Pielach needs no more than a fifth place to claim the overall Viessmann Luge World Cup trophy for the fifth time.
In the doubles, the seemingly never-ending duel between the now four-time World champions Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch of Germany and Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber (Italy) is going into the next round. Prior to the event in Winterberg, Leitner-Resch (640) have an advantage of 25 points over their competitors from South Tyrol (615). With a total of five overall victories, Italy’s Armin Zoeggeler is far from Austria’s record winner Markus Prock who boast ten overall wins. However, the two-time Olympic champion is on the brink of winning his sixth World Cup trophy. Zoeggeler (615) has an advantage of 55 points over 2007 World champion David Moeller of Germany.
The second edition of the new relay format, that has been successfully tested in Koenigssee, will be at the centre of attention at the Viessmann Luge World Cup event in Winterberg. According to FIL President Josef Fendt of Germany the relay event shall replace the previous team competition and become an integral part of the programme in the upcoming season. Additionally, it shall become part of the programme of the 2008 World Championships in Oberhof. Josef Fendt furthermore considers a new FIL application with the International Olympic Committee, IOC, to stage a relay event at the Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver, Canada.