With two races right at the border between Europe and Asia the new World Cup season will be kicked off. 60 athletes from nine nations made the trip to Novouralsk to fight for first world cup points.
In the men’s event Patrick Pigneter (ITA) will be the chased, just like in the past years. But with Gerald Kammerlander, Michael Scheikl and Thomas Schopf (all AUT) a young team of challengers has established. Thomas Schopf has been runner up behind Pigneter three times already, but has not won a World Cup yet, whereas Scheikl and Kammerlander managed to put their names in the records already.
In the women’s division Austria’s Melanie Batkowsi could write history with her last year’s win in Novouralsk. Not only did she put an end to a 5-year-long streak without winning a race to Austria’s women’s team, she also celebrated a personal victory, winning her first world cup after 14 podium finishes. She will certainly be a contender for more first places, challenging the experienced racers Ekatharina Lavrentjeva (RUS) and Renate Gietl (ITA).
Patrick Pigneter has been the dominating athlete in the doubles’ event just like in the men’s event, here with his partner Florian Clara (ITA). Last year’s rookies, Christian and Andreas Schopf (AUT) will try to challenge Pigneter/Clara’s number one position and add some excitement to the struggle for the podium spots which traditionally has been one between Russia, Italy, Poland and Austria.
Prior to the World Cup race in Novouralsk, a press conference was held in the region’s capital, Yekterinburg, 70km south of Novouralsk. Deputy Sport Minister of the Sverlovsk region, Andrei Salov, expressed his commitment to natural track luge. He said: “Our strategy is to support and to develop the sport here in our region. Last year a sport school with a strong focus on natural track has been opened in Novouralsk. Unfortunately the trainer we employed has passed away recently, but we could reassign somebody for this job.” Gennady Rodionov, representing the Russian Luge Federation, said: “We want to provide excellent education and support the youngsters. We also want to open new tracks, for example in Paramonov near Moscow, where we held a huge junior’s event last week on artificial track. We want to include natural track there again. To improve international cooperation a meeting between FIL president Fendt and the new governor of the Sverdlovsk region has been arranged for December 18th.” FIL president Josef Fendt will visit the World Cup later this week, until his arrival the FIL is represented by Vice President Alfred Jud. Andrei Knyr, coach of the Russian national team, Ekatharina Lavrentjeva, Russia’s top athlete and Mikhail Sergeyenkov, chief of the organising committee and the Green Cape sanatorium where the World Cup is held, were also present at the press conference.
In his press conference FIL president Fendt will also talk about the progress in the attempt to include natural track luge in the Olympic program.
Program:
Wednesday, Dec 16th, 2009:
women’s, men’s and doubles’ training runs starting at 12pm
Thursday, Dec 17th, 2009:
12pm: competition runs double seaters
afterwards: training runs for men and women
Track Info:
Length: 834meters
Start elevation: 362,03m
Finish elevation: 270,02m
Average Descent: 11%
