Strong final: Nico Gleirscher ends winning streak of Felix Loch

St. Moritz (FIL): Felix Loch was the first to congratulate Nico Gleirscher. Still in the outrun of the Olympic bobsleigh track in St. Moritz-Celerina, the winner of the overall World Cup held his hand in the track so that Nico Gleirscher could give a high-five.

Instead of a ninth win of the season for Loch, the 23-year-old Austrian took his first victory in the EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup. "I'm doing extremely well," Gleirscher said, "confirming my victory in the Sprint at the World Championships now is huge."

For Max Langenhan, second place in the individual race, 0.060 seconds behind Gleirscher, it also was a first. The two-time Junior World Champion had already been able to beat Loch once this winter as the winner in the Sprint in Winterberg. "The runs weren't that bad," said Langenhan, "I'm more than satisfied with second place, it's my first time in St. Moritz."

Third place at the season finale was, of course, not the result the four-time Olympic Champion Loch had hoped for. "Felix will once again give everything to achieve this unique record with nine victories in nine races in one season," national coach Norbert Loch had promised.

Nevertheless, he was satisfied with himself and his season, and with Max Langenhan too, who he had always shared a room before the Corona pandemic. "So, now you get to race the team relay tomorrow," Loch joked and he took extensive photos with Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller, the World Cup triumphants in doubles.

The battle for the crystal globes was already decided before the final. Felix Loch dominated in the overall ranking as well as in the individual. In the Sprint he was tied with Kevin Fischnaller (Italy). Second in the overall ranking as well as in the individual was Loch's compatriot Johannes Ludwig. Third place in the overall World Cup went to Semen Pavlichenko.

Due to his victory in the final, Gleirscher was still able to overtake the Russian for the small crystal globe in World Cup ranking without Sprint. "I didn't have the overall World Cup in mind at all. Suddenly it says: 3rd place: Nico Gleirscher," reports the Austrian, "Madness, now I got myself such a bullet."