Sigulda (pps) Silke Kraushaar-Pielach, Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch (all of Germany) as well as Armin Zoeggeler of Italy are top of the list prior to the SUZUKI Challenge Cup final in Sigulda, Latvia. Before the start of the fourth and last event of the season on Thursday (February 14, 2008), 1998 Olympic champion Kraushaar-Pielach - who will compete in the last event of her career - boasts an advantage of 45 points compared to second-placed Nina Reithmayer of Austria. Reithmayer grabbed the victory in Altenberg and thus she achieved a feat that only Ukraine’s Natalia Yakushenko had accomplished twice in the history of the SUZUKI Challenge Cup – that is to break the dominance of Germany’s women’s lugers. Yakushenko celebrated her two SUZUKI Challenge Cup victories in Sigulda. Perhaps this time another non-German athlete will again stand atop the podium.

In the men’s event, five-time World Champion Zoeggeler is leading with 40 points ahead of his long-time rival and World Championship silver medallist David Moeller of Germany. In the double-seater, Leitner-Resch (Germany) boast a 61 points lead. But they openly acknowledged that the track in Sigulda is not really to their liking. On the other hand, second-placed Andreas Linger-Wolfgang Linger of Austria are true specialists as far as the track in Latvia is concerned – prior to their 2006 Olympic victory the two brothers captured a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships in Sigulda.

Schedule / SUZUKI Challenge Cup in Sigulda:
Thursday, February 14, at 09:00 hrs