Sunday, November 28th, 2021
Three podium places in Sochi
Tobogganers get off to a great start in the Olympic season
The German luge riders are also at the forefront of the Olympic year on the ice track. In the second World Cup of the season, the team celebrates two wins and with second place in the team relay also three podium places. For men, old acquaintances dominate, for women there is a surprise.
First victory for the German female tobogganists, double victory for the men and another podium for the doubles. Despite a bumpy preparation, the luge athletes got off to a good start in the Olympic season and have shown their strength in all competitions. Above all, the early dominance of the two best tobogganers of the past season, Felix Loch and Johannes Ludwig, surprised.
At the second World Cup of the season in Sochi, Ludwig won a difficult race in front of Loch on a track that was much too slow due to the high humidity. “Those are those crazy races in the warm outside conditions. As a result, I had a better starting number in the second run. I was able to use that, because then nobody could do it,” said the 35-year-old.
In the women’s category, it was not the usual winners Julia Taubitz or Natalie Geisenberger who made the first success, but the young Anna Berreiter from Berchtesgaden. “With a victory that surprised me, I can draw a positive conclusion. I knew that I could drive a good race. But that there was enough time, the weather certainly played into my cards,” said the 22-year-old who also took the lead in the overall World Cup. In the final relay competition she reached second place behind Russia with the team.
The best German behind Berreiter was Danja Eitberger from Ilmenau in fifth. Overall World Cup winner Geisenberger came in eighth, World Champion Taubitz from Oberwiesenthal came in ninth. In the doubles category, Tobias Wendl / Tobias Arlt (Berchtesgaden / Königssee) came in third this time, just ahead of Toni Eggert / Sasche Benecken (Ilsenburg / Suhl).
The third World Cup of the season will also take place in Sochi next weekend. After that, the tobogganers start on the 11th and 12th. December in Altenberg for the first time in Germany.