Viessmann Luge World Cup enters the home stretch

Altenberg (RWH) The Viessmann Luge World Cup is about to enter the home stretch. Following the 48th World Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL), three World Cup events are still to come on the sporting calendar. The next round in the Eastern Ore Mountains from February 2-3, 2019 is followed by Oberhof (February 9-10, 2019), which also doubles as the 50th FIL European Championships, and the season finale in Sochi, Russia, from February 23-24, 2019. 

The newly crowned World Champion Natalie Geisenberger is at the top of the standings as are the World Championship gold medallists Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken. Johannes Ludwig, who finished fourth for the fourth time at the FIL World Championships in in Winterberg, heads the men’s standings.

The now four-time World Champion Geisenberger, who was also the Olympic Champion in 2014 and 2018, currently has 697 points. Her teammate and World Championship silver medallist Julia Taubitz (634) follows her in second place ahead of the USA’s Summer Britcher (485).

Johannes Ludwig (GER) has amassed 473 points thus far, including the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Sigulda (LAT), the last round before the FIL World Championships in Winterberg. The Austrian Wolfgang Kindl (440) is second, just three points ahead of Felix Loch. The 2010 and 2014 Olympic Champion celebrated his first victory of the season in the Hochsauerland with the world title.

Eggert/Benecken, the 2017 and 2019 World Champions, are dominating the doubles on 725 points, well clear of nearest rivals Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (GER). The Olympic Champions in doubles in 2014 and 2018 have 576 points. The Austrians Thomas Steu/Lorenz Koller are third with 552 points.

After four of six events in the Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW, the German squad leads the overall rankings on 355 points ahead of new World Champions Russia (300). The Latvian team is in second place with 270 points.