Finally winter has arrived in Europe and the first training day in Oberperfuss was held with snow flakes slowly falling down on the recently reconstructed track of the 1996 World Championships.
Should the training results have any meaning for the outcome of the men´s race, there will be some movement in the World Cup. In the first run Gernot Schwab (AUT) finished with the fastest time, in the second run Martin Psenner (ITA), who came in third in both races of this winter, showed that he might be ready for his first win. Overall-World Cup leader and serial winner Anton Blasbichler (ITA) crashed in the first run and finished seventh in the second run. The reigning World Champion Robert Batkowski´s younger brother Florian showed his talents: he finished second in third in the training runs.

A completely different picture was seen in the women´s training: Renate Gietl, this season´s shooting star with two wins on her account already, dominated the scene once more with fastest times in both runs. 15-year old Melanie Batkowski, sister of Robert and Florian, gave a strong life-sign with 3rd and 4th times. She proved to be best Austrian as Sandra Mariner, second in the overall World Cup, will not compete in Oberperfuss. She is still suffering from a training accident of last week in which she injured her ancle. She probably will take another few weeks to recover.

The Austrians Beer/Kögl, who are the current leaders in the overall World Cup, achieved fastest times in both runs and are still on track for their goal to win the World Cup. They won the title in the 1996 World Championships in Oberperfuss. The strongest competition can be expected from inside the Austrian team: The cousins Wolfgang and Andreas Schopf finished second and third in the training runs. The competition will be started tomorrow, Friday, at 9 am with the doubleseater´s and women´s races.

Track Info:

Length: 1180 meters
Altitude of Start: 1340 meters above sea level
Altitude of Finish: 1180 meters
Difference: 160 meters
Average Descent: 13,7%

Program:

Thursday, 13 January, 2005
Training and opening ceremony

Friday, 14 January, 2005
09:00 a.m.: 1st heat doubles (WC I)
following: 1st heat women´s singles (WC I)
11:00 a.m.: 2nd heat doubles (WC I)
following: 2nd heat women´s singles (WC I)
12:00 noon: 1st heat men´s singles (WC I)
2:00 p.m.: 2nd heat men´s singles (WC I)

Saturday, 15 January 2005
09:00 a.m.: 1st heat men´s singles (WC II)
11:00 a.m.: 2nd heat men´s singles (WC II)
1:00 p.m.: training runs women and doubles

Sunday, 16 January 2005
09:00 a.m.: 1st heat doubles (WC II)
following: 1st heat women´s singles (WC II)
11:00 a.m.: 2nd heat doubles (WC II)
following: 2nd heat women´s singles (WC II)