World Champions Eggert/Benecken undefeated in Olympic discipline

 Calgary (RWH) Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken remain the men to beat in the Olympic winter season. At the Viessmann World Cup in Calgary, Canada, the current World Champions saw off all rivals to claim their fourth victory of the 2017/2018 winter season. The duo from Oberhof remain unbeaten in the Olympic doubles event. Their only defeat this season came in the BMW Sprint World Cup in Winterberg, in which they finished second.

 Eggert/Benecken also set a new track record of 43.421 seconds in the process of claiming the 29th win of their career. The American pairing of Mark Grimmette/Brian Martin had held the previous record of 43.564 seconds, which was set on 29 November 2002. Patric Leitner/Alexander Resch continue to hold the longest standing track record. Their best time has stood since they took Olympic victory in Park City back in February 2002.

 Second place at Canada Olympic Park went to the Austrians Peter Penz/Georg Fischler, who had initially lowered the previous track record to 43.466 seconds. Third place was claimed by Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany.

 Ahead of the next round on 15-16 December 2017 in Lake Placid (USA), the overall standings of the Viessmann World Cup are topped by the three German duos – Eggert/Benecken (485), Wendl/Arlt (385) and Robin Geueke/David Gamm (291), who finished fifth in Calgary behind the Latvians Andris Sics/Juris Sics.

 Quotes

 Sascha Benecken (GER / 2017 World Champion, overall winner of the Viessmann World Cup in 2015 and 2017):

“The track record here had seemed almost untouchable. We never thought it could be beaten. So we’re pretty proud right now! If our heads are in tune with our hearts on the big day, we are capable of achieving great things. As the current World Champions, we’re always under pressure, but the pressure we put on ourselves is much tougher.”

 Peter Penz (AUT / World Championship silver medallist in 2015 and World Championship bronze medallist in 2012):

“We are sandwiched right between two German duos. That’s given us a real boost. We hope things continue in the same vein!”

 Tobias Wendl (GER / 2014 Olympic Champion and triple World Champion):

“We’re really happy with third place. I’m not a huge fan of tracks like this without many high-pressure curves. So we did a lot of practice runs here. We also experimented a bit in the race itself, which is unheard of. But we leave here with a positive result.”