Classic race and world championship rehearsal in Konigssee

Natalie Geisenberger, Felix Loch and Eggert-Benecken in the lead

The Viessmann World Cup is starting the new year with the classicKonigssee race, a race which is being held for the 35th time, and which this time round canalso be seen as the dress rehearsal for the 2016 Luge World Championships. Although theweekend 3−4 January 2015 is only the fourth in the post-Olympic winter, it will beshowcasing the sixth of the twelve World Cup races being run this season.

Shortly before "half time", defending titleholder Natalie Geisenberger of Germany heads thewomen’s overall rankings. Germany’s Felix Loch, who was flagging slightly before Christmas,is in the lead in the men’s singles, and Toni Eggert−Sascha Benecken, also of Germany,head the doubles. The Königssee weekend will close with the second race in the ViessmannTeam Relay World Cup presented by BMW.

At 470 points, Olympic Champion Natalie Geisenberger has a clear lead on the competition:Olympic silver medallist Tatjana Hüfner of Germany is second with 335 points and ErinHamlin of the USA is third with 313 points. But Geisenberger suffered two defeats recently,when four-times World Champion Hüfner won the FIL Sprint World Cup in Calgary and theGerman Championships in Oberhof.

The picture is somewhat different in the men’s singles, where Olympic Champion Loch (363points), is only slightly ahead of Italy’s Dominik Fischnaller (336). "Going through a bit of alow", was the verdict of Germany’s head coach Norbert Loch when his son was placed downat fourth in the national championships. The title went to Andi Langenhan, who came fourthin the Olympics.

In the doubles, Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken continue to forge ahead alone. Only in theFIL Sprint World Cup in Calgary have they been beaten this season, coming second behindOlympic Champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt. But Wendl-Arlt are considered a force tobe reckoned with in Königssee: the 2013 World Champions have won every race at the footof the Watzmann since the 2009/2010 season.

Kastlunger, Kindl and Penz-Fischler are Austria’s champions

Innsbruck-Igls (RWH) Miriam Kastlunger, Wolfgang Kindl and the doubles team of PeterPenz and Georg Fischler have won the Austrian championships in their disciplines. In themen’s singles, Wolfgang Kindl successfully defended the title he won last year. Currently atthird in the overall Viessmann World Cup rankings, Kindl relegated Reinhard Egger andDaniel Pfister to second and third. In the women’s event, Miriam Kastlunger prevailed againstBirgit Platzer and Mona Wabnigg. Peter Penz and Georg Fischler now hold their fifth nationaltitle in the doubles.

Konigssee hosting World Championships next winter

Konigssee (RWH) The Königssee ice track, which is the oldest artificial track in existence, ishosting a luge world cup for the 35th time this winter. This makes the labyrinthine track arecord-breaking Viessmann World Cup venue. The facility, which has been extensivelyupgraded over the last few years, will also be welcoming the world’s luge elite on 30−31January 2016 when the International Luge Federation (FIL) holds the 46th WorldChampionships. This will be the sixth time that lugers have fought for the title on thehistorical track after 1969, 1970, 1974, 1979 and 1999.

It was here that FIL President Josef Fendt collected both of his world championship titles in1970 and 1974. In 1970, Poland’s Barbara Piecha won the women’s title and ManfredSchmid−Ewald Walch of Austria repeated their win of the previous year in the doubles. In1969, Josef Feistmantl of Austria took the title in the men’s singles and Petra Tierlich of theGDR the women’s title. The other gold medallists alongside Fendt in 1974 were MargitSchumann of the GDR and doubles team Bernd Hahn−Ulrich Hahn, also of the GDR. In1979, the titles in the singles went to Detlef Günther and Melitta Dollmann, both of the GDR,while the doubles title went to FRG lugers Hans Brandner and Balthasar Schwarm.

In 1999, Armin Zöggeler of Italy won the men’s title. He retired with a record six FIL worldchampionship titles to his name. In the women’s singles, Sonja Wiedemann brought in asurprise victory, and the doubles title went to Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch ofGermany, who later went on to win the Olympics.

Norbert Loch elected Coach of the Year

Baden-Baden (RWH) Germany’s head luge coach Norbert Loch has been elected Coach ofthe Year. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) honoured the 52-year-old atits Athlete of the Year gala in Baden-Baden. Headed by Loch, the German luge team won allfour Olympic gold medals (Natalie Geisenberger, Felix Loch, Tobias Wendl−Tobias Arlt andthe relay team) and one silver (Tatjana Hüfner) at Sochi 2014.

In the Sportswoman of the Year award, Natalie Geisenberger came second behind alpineskier Maria Höfl-Riesch, who holds three Olympic gold medals, and Felix Loch was third inthe men’s category. For the third time in succession, Germany’s sports journalists selecteddiscus thrower Robert Harting as Sportsman of the Year, just ahead of Eric Frenzel, whowon Olympic gold in the Nordic combined.

Sung, Kanayama and Park-Cho Asian Luge Champions

Nagano (RWH) Korea’s Eun Ryung Sung, Hidenari Kanayama of Japan and Jin-Yong Parkand Jung Myung Cho of Korea have won the 17th Asian Luge Championships in Nagano,Japan.

Eun Ryung Sung, who finished 29th at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi (RUS),relegated teammate Eun-Ju Choi and Harada Hoshima of Japan to second and third place.Hidenari Kanayama came in first ahead of India’s defending champion Shiva Keshavanand Dong Hyeon Kim of Korea. In the doubles, the title went to Jin-Yong Park and JungMyung Cho (KOR).

For the first time ever, athletes from Turkey were among the competitors at the AsianChampionships and went straight for gold: Buse Cetin won the junior women’s race.

Huefner, Langenhan and Eggert-Benecken are Germany’s Champions

Oberhof (RWH) Tatjana Huefner, Andi Langenhan and Toni Eggert-Sascha Benecken areGermany’s Luge Champions. In Oberhof, four-times World Champion Tatjana Huefnersecured her fourth national title, and former European Champion Andi Langenhan capturedhis first national championship. Eggert-Benecken defended their title successfully.

Tatjana Huefner, who already won gold, silver and bronze at the Olympic Winter Games,relegated Olympic Champion Natalie Geisenberger and Dajana Eitberger to second and thirdplace. In the men’s race, former European Champion Andi Langenhan won ahead of RalfPalik and Julian von Schleinitz. Olympic Champion Felix Loch finished only fourth. EggertBeneckenwon in the doubles followed by Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt andNico Grueßner-Chris Rohmeiß.

Dominik Fischnaller follows in Armin Zöggeler’s footsteps

Königssee (RWH) Former Junior World Champion Dominik Fischnaller is following in thefootsteps of his hero Armin Zöggeler. After a sixth at the Olympics, Fischnaller has won hisfirst national title on the artificial track in Königssee, and is thus a natural successor to therecord-breaking World Champion as Italy’s titular.

Andrea Vötter took the title in the women’s event, and in the doubles Christian Oberstolz andPatrick Gruber won their tenth national championship.

For updated results from the Viessmann Luge World Cup, click here.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only