Big final on Saturday evening at the FIL Luge World Cup on Natural Track. Local hero Thomas Kammerlander won the overall World Cup for the third time in a row and received the big crystal globe.

Thomas Kammerlander Umhausen 2019


Vice World Champion Thomas Kammerlander (AUT) and World Champion Alex Gruber (ITA) showed an thrilling duel for the lead in the overall World Cup standig this season, culminating in the World Cup final on the 955m Grantau-Track in Umhausen (AUT). Kammerlander went with a lead of only 10 points in the last race of the season. After the first run on Friday evening Kammerlander finished third, just 0.15 seconds ahead of Gruber. In the final on Saturday night Gruber showed a strong performance and took the lead. Kammerlander withstood the pressure of the World Champion, countered with a flawless run and took the lead with best time. At the finish line, Kammerlander - accompanied by the shower of confetti of his fans - kissed the ice track and celebrated his third win in the overall World Cup in a row. After seven World Cup competitions Kammerlander has 625 points, Gruber 600, and Pigneter 505. The half-time leader Patrick Pigneter was unimpressed by this and claimed in a sovereign manner with a lead of 0.38 seconds his first victory of the season. "It was just in  time (laughs). I have been in the World Cup for 14 seasons now and won at least one race every year. This time it was really close. This season I was unlucky, today is one of the most beautiful victories of my career. "


Thomas Kammerlander: "This season was an incredible battle already from the opening in Kühtai. The fight for the overall World Cup was hard work from the beginning to the very last second. I think my victory in Vatra Dornei a week ago was the decisive turning point ".
Alex Gruber: "That was the best season of my career so far. What bothers me, there are not enough competitions in South Tyrol (laughs). But seriously: On tracks abroad I always suffer a bit, I have to work on that. The World Cup title is a great consolation, with second place in the overall World Cup I'm very satisfied. "

Evelin Lanthaler superstar
Evelin Lanthaler (ITA) made it: The World Champion also won the last World Cup race of the season. Lanthaler was second after the first run on Friday, just 0.04 seconds behind half-time leader Greta Pinggera (ITA). In the final on Saturday Lanthaler performed a perfect run, was the only athlete with a time of 1: 12.92 minutes under the mark of 1:13 minutes and displaced her team-mate Greta Pinggera from the top. Third place for Russian Ekaterina Lavrenteva. Lanthaler has won all seven World Cups (Kühtai, Obdach-Winterleiten, Moscow I + II, Deutschnofen, Vatra Dornei and Umhausen). The first athlete to claim all season victories was Elvira Holzknecht (AUT) in 1995 (4 competitons), Ekaterina Lavrenteva won in 2005/06, and in 2012 and 2012/13 all 6 races of the season. Lanthaler won the overall World Cup with the maximum of 700 points, followed by Greta Pinggera (535) and Ekaterina Lavrenteva (505). It´s the third overall World Cup victory for Lanthaler after 2016 und 2018.

Evelin Lanthaler: "I went to the final pretty easy today. Already during my run I realized that I am fast - but I'm really surprised by the fabulous time. I am overjoyed, a perfect season ".
Greta Pinggera: "It was not meant to be. It was super exciting, Evelin deserves it. By winning the World Cup she has built up an incredible self-confidence. In Umhausen I usually do not get beaten ".
Ekaterina Lavrenteva: "The track in Umhausen is good, but today some of the braking points were a bit tattered and therefore too difficult for me. Last year I had a crash here, that was still in my head today. I am satisfied with the season ".

Porshnev / Lazarev pick first win of the season
In the doubles, the Russians Pavel Porshnev / Ivan Lazarev celebrated their first victory of the season. With best time in both runs in the end they were 0.57 seconds ahead of World Champion Patrick Pigneter / Florian Clara (ITA). In their very last race, the 2017 World Champions Rupert Brüggler / Tobias Angerer (AUT) finished on third position. The "luge-retirees" were in fourth place after the first run on Friday, on Saturday they mobilized all their powers for the last time in their outstanding career and kicked Patrick Lambacher / Matthias Lambacher (ITA) from the podium. In the overall standings Pigneter / Clara (640 points) already fixed their overall victory for the tenth time one week ago, while Porshnev / Lazarev celebrated their fifth World Cup victory on the Grantau-Bahn in Umhausen. Aleksandr Egorov/Petr Popov (RUS) finished with 490 points in 2nd position, followed by  Porshnev/Lazarev (459) on 3rd place in the overall standing.

 

Ivan Lazarev: "This track is always good, has very good ice. Pavel drove incredibly well through the difficult S-section, a victory at the end of the season is just perfect. "
Pavel Porshnev: "It does not matter if we will set the Umhausen record of Pigneter / Clara next year with the 6th victory. What matters is 2021, we want to win at the World Championships here in Umhausen ".


The final team competition was won by Italy (Lanthaler / Gruber / Pigneter) ahead of Austria (Unterberger / Scheikl / Kammerlander) and Russia (Lavrenteva / Kovshik / Egorov). A total of 19 nations participated in the World Cup final in Umhausen. In the Nation Ranking Italy finished in 1st place with a total of 5181 point, Russia in 2nd with 3969 points, 3rd place for Austria (3619).