Austrian luge stars back on the track
Innsbruck (FIL/02 Oct 2023) The aces of the Austrian Luge Federation (ÖRV) will start into the new season on October 2 in Lillehammer, Norway.
The "in-luge" on the 1994 Olympic track in Norway will be followed by training weeks in Sigulda, Latvia, and on the World Championship track in Altenberg, Germany. Another test week in Sigulda is scheduled for the end of October before the final tuning is made at the home track in Igls and in Oberhof. The World Cup opener will take place in Lake Placid on December 5 and 6, the season's highlights will be the World Championships in Altenberg and the home World Cup in Igls, where the European Championships medals will also be awarded in race-in-race mode.
In the absence of Wolfgang Kindl, who will only return to the track in Altenberg, the juniors Lisa Zimmermann/Dorothea Schwarz as well as the singles athletes Barbara Allmaier, Noah Kallan and Fabio Zauser will strengthen the 17-strong national team in Lillehammer. Thomas Steu, who will start the season in the doubles with Kindl, will train in Lillehammer in the singles.
The two tons of material, almost 30 sleds, were brought to Kiel by the coaches on Saturday September 30, from where they took the ferry to Oslo and from there to Lillehammer.
"We have worked very intensively on the physical and technical components during the summer and are now in the process of preparing man and material for the season. Lillehammer is predestined as a warm-up week because of the weather and the relatively easy track conditions. It's all about finding a good rhythm and getting used to the new equipment, especially the pods. Athletically the team is well positioned, but we are a bit worried about Lara Kipp's back problems and Selina Egle is also a bit injured. Lisa Schulte, who started her summer training late after her shoulder surgery, still has some catching up to do, but her development is very positive," says ÖRV head coach Christian Eigentler.
Wolfgang Kindl will start the season two weeks later and is happy about his private luck: "Since I recently became a father for the first time, it was important for me to spend more time with my young family, so I started training a bit later. Thomas and I got along very well early on, the summer training was accordingly positive, we made some progress especially in the starting technique. I am physically well prepared for the tasks in singles and doubles, I am enjoying my current moments of happiness very much and I am looking forward to returning to the track".
Thomas Steu: "It is important and absolutely right that Wolfi takes some more time for his family. I will use the training week in Lillehammer to shake off the rust and get a good feeling. This is an optimal basis for the joint sled training, which we will start in Altenberg.
The ÖRV training schedule for the EBESPÄCHER World Cup:
03.-09.10. Lillehammer/NOR
12-16.10. Sigulda/LAT
23-16.10. Altenberg/GER
28.10.-01.11. Sigulda/LAT
06.-11.11. Igls/GER
14-16.11. Oberhof
18-20.11. Igls
photos: ÖRV/Wilhelm
