Victories of the favourites at YOG in St. Moritz

St.Moritz (RWH) The second day of the luge events of the 2020 Youth Olympic Games produced victories of the favourites. On the natural track of St. Moritz, stage of all sliding events, Gints Berzins from Latvia, overall winner of the Youth A World Cup last season, secured gold in men’s single, while Jessica Degenhardt/Vanessa Schneider wrote a small chapter of luge history by winning the first ever women’s doubles race in the Olympic movement.

Gints Berzins, who is not related with former luge athlete Sandris Berzins, who finished on 10th place at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, won ahead of Pavel Repilov. The Russian is the younger brother of current leader in Viessmann Luge World Cup. The Bronze Medal went to Germany’s Timon Grancagnolo. „I’m really happy. This is the best thing I ever realized in my life”, the winner said later. Berzins drove the same sled, which Kristers Aparjods used, when he had won the 2017 Junior’s World Championships.

Caitlin Nash/Natalie Corless won silver behind the German pair. The two Canadians competed in December 2019 in Viessmann Luge World Cup being the very first women’s double in a World Cup event of doubles. They won bronze at the American-Pacific Championships. The bronze medal in St. Moritz went to Viktorija Ziedina/Selina Zvilna from Latvia.