Winner type Wolfgang Kindl: After success in doubles, he also wins in singles

Pyeonchang (FIL/15 Feb 2025) Surprising outcome of the men's race at the EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup in Pyeongchang (South Korea): Wolfgang Kindl (Austria) won ahead of Dominik Fischnaller (Italy) and Latvian Kristers Aparjods. With the best run in the first round, 36-year-old Kindl laid the foundation for his eleventh World Cup victory. In the sum of his two runs, he needed 1:35.422 minutes.

Fischnaller was 0.092 seconds behind. Aparjods was able to improve from fifth place to third position, 0.111 seconds behind, by achieving the fastest time in the second run. “Although I still had the track from the Olympics in my head, I first had to recall everything,” said the 26-year-old Latvian, who had finished eleventh at the 2018 Games. Then he confessed: ”In the end, I felt very comfortable.”

For Kindl, it was not only his first individual victory of the season, but also the end of a long period of suffering. Shortly before the season, he came down with glandular fever. “I have to thank everyone who has supported me in the past weeks and months,” he said, beaming with joy. He had two reasons to be happy in Pyeongchang. Just two hours after his success in the doubles with topman Thomas Steu, he also won the individual race. “To be honest, I was really nervous at the start,” he confessed, “but it's a wonderful day. I was always fast in training, but a race is something else.”

Wolfgang Kindl makes World Cup history

With his double victory (singles and doubles) at the EBERSPAECHER World Cup on February 15, 2025 in Pyeongchang, Wolfgang Kindl enters the history books of luge. He is only the fifth athlete since 1977 to triumph in both the men's singles and doubles on a World Cup weekend!

World Champion Max Langenhan came in fourth, 0.160 seconds behind. Although the German is thus four places ahead of his closest rival Nico Gleirscher and has extended his lead to 58 points, the decision in the fight for the World Cup crystal globe has been postponed. Nico's brother David Gleirscher came in fifth behind Langenhan (0.211 seconds back) ahead of Vice World Champion Felix Loch (Germany/0.368).

In the World Cup standings, Alexander Ferlazzo came in ninth, just 0.807 seconds behind the leader, but the Australian still had reason to celebrate. He was crowned American Pacific Champion, ahead of the two Americans Tucker West and Jonathan Gustafson. In the Asian Championships, Japan's Seiya Kobayashi won gold ahead of Jing Li (China) and Jimin Kim of Korea.