Lake Placid hosts second round in Olympic track tour Natalie Geisenberger, Felix Loch and Eggert-Benecken head World Cup rankings
Lake Placid (RWH) Olympic Champions, World Champions and top of the WorldCup rankings: Natalie Geisenberger and Felix Loch (both GER) currently hold all ofthe race bib titles the International Luge Federation (FlL) has on offer. After theseason opening in Innsbruck-Igls and the successful debut of the FIL Sprint WorldCup, the two Sochi 2014 gold medallists, who also won the 2013 WorldChampionships in Whistler (CAN), now head the overall rankings in the ViessmannWorld Cup with the highest possible score of 200 points each.
The doubles team of Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken (GER) are also top of thefield with 200 points after their twofold victory in the Viessmann World Cup and FILSprint World Cup in Innsbruck-Igls.
Lake Placid, which hosted the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, will see the second round inwhat could be considered an imaginary tour of three Olympic tracks, the first round ofwhich was held in Innsbruck-Igls, host to the 1964 and 1976 Olympics. A week afterLake Placid, the final Olympic track race will take place in Calgary, Canada, home tothe 1988 Olympics.
In Lake Placid, not only will the three individual disciplines be fought out on thechallenging ice chute on Mount Van Hoevenberg in the US state of New York. Theathletes will also line up for the season debut of the Viessmann Team Relay Worldcup presented by BMW, FIL’s most recent Olympic discipline. The last time the teamrelay was run on American soil, on 9 February 2013, Germany won ahead of hostUSA and Italy.
Defending women’s singles titleholder Natalie Geisenberger already has a lead of 45points on teammate Tatjana Hüfner (155) after the opening weekend. DajanaEitberger, also of Germany, is third with 145 points. Eggert-Benecken’s lead on thecompetition in the doubles is just as clear: Peter Penz and Georg Fischler of Austriahave 155 points, and Germany’s Olympic and World Champions Tobias Wendl andTobias Arlt have 130 points. In the men’s singles, Felix Loch is only 30 points aheadof his closest rival, Dominik Fischnaller (170). Two years ago, Fischnaller camesecond behind Armin Zöggeler and ahead of David Mair in Italy’s remarkable podiumsweep.
Team relay celebrates silver anniversary on Mount Van Hoevenberg
Lake Placid (RWH) The team relay organised by the International Luge Federation(FIL) is celebrating its silver anniversary. The international federation’s latest Olympicdiscipline can be seen for the 25th time as the Viessmann Team Relay World Cuppresented by BMW on the Mount van Hoevenberg artificial track in Lake Placid in theUS State of New York.
The team relay, whose Olympic debut at Sochi 2014 was well-received across theworld, has been on the world cup agenda since the winter of 2010/2011, and wasfirst presented to the world in its current form on the Königssee artificial track on7 January 2007.
Lake Placid is a good place for the silver anniversary: in 1982, the 1932 and 1980Olympic venue hosted the first ever FIL World Championships to be held outside ofEurope, and it was once again host to the championship in 2009. The artificial trackon Mount Van Hoevenberg, built for the first and only Goodwill Games held in LakePlacid in 2000, will be showcasing a Viessmann World Cup for the 13th time in 2014.
Shiva Keshavan of India sets sights on sixth Olympics
Lake Placid (RWH) Shiva Keshavan of India aims to take part in his sixth Olympicswith the help of the USA’s most successful luger ever. Duncan Kennedy, whocompeted in three Olympics himself, was the first US luger to win a World Cup, andlater worked on the US luge association's coaching team. He will be supporting thetwo-times Asian champion in his preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics inPyeongChang (KOR).
Keshavan, who will be debuting in the Viessmann World Cup at Lake Placid in theUS state of New York next weekend (5-6 December 2014), will have the help of apersonal coach for the first time in his career. The 33-year-old from the Himalayaswas 37th at the Sochi Winter Olympics, and his best ever Olympic result was a 25thplace at the 2002 Winter Game in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The only luger ever to have made seven Olympic appearances is Russia’s AlbertDemchenko, now 43, who collected a total of three silver medals at the Games.
America-Pacific Championships in Lake Placid
Berchtesgaden (RWH) The America-Pacific Championships are being held nextweekend in Lake Placid in the US state of New York. The fight for medals will takeplace in a race-in-race format during the 2nd Viessmann World Cup on 5 and 6December on the Mount Van Hoevenberg ice track. The winners of the 2014championships in Whistler were Alex Gough (CAN), Chris Mazdzer (USA) and theCanadian doubles team of Tristan Walker and Justin Snith.
For more information and a preview of the schedule for the2nd Viessmann Luge World Cup in Lake Placid, click here.
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