Altenberg (pps) Germany’s Silke Kraushaar-Pielach is right on target claiming her fifth overall World Cup victory in the women’s single; Armin Zoeggler (Italy) retained his lead in the men’s single; and the doubles’ event is still marked by the continuing duel between Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber, of Italy, and Germany’s Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch. This is, in short, the situation in the Viessmann Luge World Cup prior to the 7 th event to take place in Altenberg next weekend (January 20-21, 2007).

„I’ve never had such a season in my entire career“, disclosed Silke Kraushaar-Pielach, referring to her fifth victory in six races, putting her in the lead of the overall World Cup rankings with 585 points. The 36-year-old explained the reasons for her “lightness of being”: “Since my wedding everything’s just great at home. I can fully concentrate on the sport and the victories seem to happen of their own volition.”

Prior to the last three Viessmann Luge World Cup events in Altenberg, Winterberg and Sigulda, the 1998 Olympic champion is 115 points ahead of second-placed Tatjana Huefner (470), of Germany. Huefner might achieve a maximum of 770 points - provided that she will manage three victories. Theoretically, Kraushaar-Pielach has to score another 185 points – this translates into one victory and another second place finish - in order to claim the fifth overall Viessmann Luge World Cup victory in the women’s single after her successes in 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2005-06. However, the 2006 Olympic silver medallist is apprehensive: “I’ve once had a lead prior to the World Cup final. Then I crashed badly in the penultimate event and in the end I came fourth on the overall World Cup rankings...”

David Moeller (475 points) of Germany, who claimed the Viessmann Luge World Cup victory in Oberhof, reduced Zoeggeler’s lead to 40 points. Armin Zoeggeler, who came third behind Germany’s Jan Eichhorn, now boasts 515 points. But what is more – the two-time Olympic champion is still waiting for his 34th World Cup victory, which would put him ahead of record-winners Georg Hackl (Germany) and Markus Prock (Austria), all with 33 career victories.

Oberstolz-Gruber and Leitner-Resch are still dominating the doubles’ event. Both doubles’ teams are boasting 555 points, having posted three victories and three second places each. “I’m sure that the overall World Cup victory will be decided in the final in Sigulda”, Patrick Gruber predicts. The double-seater with Sebastian Schmidt-André Forker, having claimed a third place in Koenigssee and a fourth place in Oberhof, are likely candidates to represent the German colours at the World Luge Championships to take place in Igls, Austria, at the beginning of February.