Calgary (pps) The “(f)lying change” with regard to the German doubles’ seems to be successful, at least as far as the Viessmann Luge World Cup is concerned. At the third World Cup stop in Calgary, Canada, Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt already celebrated their second season’s victory. And thanks to their fifth success in the World Cup series the 2010 European champions are now leading the overall rankings. Thus – after the end of the career of Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch (2002 Olympic champions as well as six-times overall winners of the Viessmann Luge World Cup) and André Florschuetz-Torsten Wustlich (2006 Olympic silver medallists and overall World Cup winners last year) – the two seem to continue the German tradition of good results in the doubles’.

Wendl-Arlt relegated the two Italian doubles’ with Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber (0.073 seconds behind) and Hans-Peter Fischnaller-Patrick Schwienbacher (0.295) to second and third place. It was the first time for Fischnaller-Schwienbacher, who finished in 10th position at the Europeans, to achieve a podium position.

Quotes

Tobias Wendl (GER / 2010 European and 2008 World runner-up)

“Perhaps we’re the successors to Leitner-Resch and Florschuetz-Wustlich – but their footprints are still large. We need to accomplish quite a lot before we can really fill in the blanks...”

Christian Oberstolz (ITA – 2008 European champion)

“Wendl-Arlt were simply better today. We have to acknowledge that. But on the overall World Cup rankings we’re just a few points behind those two and this is why anything’s still possible. Even though a lot of doubles’ teams have ended their career prior to the season’s start, the doubles’ events are still very competitive.”

Hans-Peter Fischnaller (ITA / 2010 European 10th-placed)

“Finally it all added up. This is our best ever result. We have a new sled this winter and it seems to be really good.”