Battle for European Championship medals and final showdown before the

Preview 4th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup and 55th FIL European Championships in Innsbruck-Igls (AUT):
Battle for European Championship medals and final showdown before the World Championships

Innsbruck (FIL/10 Jan 2024) When the luge elite competes at the Olympic ice track in Igls this weekend, it won't just be for World Cup points. In addition to the 4th EBERSPAECHER World Cup, the 55th FIL European Championships will also be held in the so-called race-in-race mode on January 13 and 14. Non-European nations take part in the World Cup but will not be ranked for the European Championships. The races are also the last showdown for everyone before the 52nd FIL World Championships in Altenberg (GER), starting two weeks later on January 26, 2024.

A total of 111 sleds from 20 nations have registered for the World Cup, with 35 women's and 39 men's singles athletes as well as 15 women's and 22 men's doubles. In addition, the third of six team relays as part of the EBERSPAECHER Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW is on the program on Sunday.

In addition to World Cup points, the European Championship titles will be at stake this weekend. At last year's European Championships in Sigulda (LAT), Olympic silver medalist Anna Berreiter (GER) won the women's event for the first time ahead of her team-mate Dajana Eitberger and Elina Ieva Vitola (LAT). Max Langenhan won the men's competition ahead of team-mate Felix Loch and local hero Kristers Aparjods. With this victory, the 24-year-old from Thuringia started his incredible run and has been unbeaten ever since. In the men's doubles, Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (GER) won the race ahead of Latvians Martins Bots/Roberts Plume and Eduards Mikelsevics/Lukass Krasts. Held for the first time in the European Championships, the Italians Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer won the gold medal in the women’s doubles, silver went to the Latvian duo Anda Upite/Sanija Ozolina (LAT) and bronze to Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal from Germany. In the Team relay, team Latvia defended their title ahead of team Germany and team Italy.

Team Germany and Austria start the new year successfully.

At the first EBERSPAECHER World Cup after the Christmas break in Winterberg, the German and Austrian luge athletes shared the World Cup victories between them. While Austria topped the podium in the women's event with Madeleine Egle and in the men's doubles with Juri Gatt/Riccardo Schöpf, Germany secured the victories in the women's doubles with Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal, in the men's event with Max Langenhan and in the team relay. Both teams once again impressed with a cohesive team performance, despite the Austrian men missing out on a podium place for the first time this season and finishing in fifth to seventh place.

It will therefore be interesting to see how the Austrians perform on their home track. Last season, they got off on the ice track to an outstanding start: Four races in the World Cup and four races in the Sprint World Cup were on the program, and all victories went to Austrian lugers. The red-white-red festivities culminated in the triple and quadruple triumphs of the Austrian men's doubles and men's singles in front of enthusiastic spectators.

Geisenberger, Pavlichenko, Wendl/Arlt and Vötter/Oberhofer lead the European Championships

Six-time Olympic champion Natalie Geisenberger (GER), who ended her long career before the season, leads the all-time European Championship statistics with five European Championship titles and three bronze medals, ahead of Tatyana Ivanova (RUS), who is once again ineligible to compete this season, with five European Championship titles and two silver and bronze medals each. Dajana Eitberger follows in 15th place among the currently active female athletes with one title and two bronze medals. However, she now only competes in the women's doubles in the World Cup.

In the men's singles, the European Championship leader is Semen Pavlichenko from Russia. The former World Champion has won four times and won a silver medal at the European Championships. Felix Loch (GER) has won three times, two silver and two bronze medals, and Dominik Fischnaller (ITA) has one European Championship title and two bronze medals so far.

Wendl/Arlt (GER) lead the European Championship rankings in the men's doubles with four gold, six silver and one bronze medal, ahead of their former teammates Eggert/Benecken with four titles and two silver and one bronze medal. The first title in the history of the women's doubles at the European Championships was won a year ago by the Italians Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer.

The complete European Championship statistics can be found here: Statistics of the International Luge Federation FIL (fil-luge.org)

Quotes:

Anna Berreiter (GER): “My fourth place in Winterberg was once again disappointing. Somehow it's not going well and I don't know how to change it at the moment. Looking ahead to Innsbruck, I'm not very optimistic because the track doesn't really suit me and I'm never really fast there. That's why I have little hopes of defending my European Championship title.“

Lake Placid World Cup Women, Madeleine Egle

Madeleine Egle (AUT): “The victory in Winterberg was a great dress rehearsal for the European Championships because the tracks are very similar. I'm really looking forward to the home race and will of course give everything I've got to stand at the top of the podium again.“

Julia Taubitz (GER): “I still have problems and head and neck pain after my crash in Altenberg and feel a bit hungover. Nevertheless, it was important for me to start in Winterberg in order not to loose too many points in the overall World Cup. I'm looking forward to the European Championships this week, but the big goal is the World Championships in Altenberg. I want to be a hundred percent fit again by then. I love being in Igls, I love the area, the hotel and the track is also very nice. The forecast is also for sunshine, which is something we haven't had that often this season. You have to be careful on the track at the start, which is quite difficult for us ladies, then exit nine and the labyrinth at the bottom. The fact that the race is also the European Championships doesn't make any difference to me, but I'm happy that it's in Igls. I still have to make peace with the European Championships, I've only won silver once so far, and that was a few years ago.“

Max Langenhan (GER): “Due to injury, I wasn't in Innsbruck last year. That was when we Germans took a beating. I hope it won't be quite as hard again. But it will be very difficult to defend my European Championship title. The Austrians have very good guys and have often shown us the limits there. It would be great for us if we could do better than last year. The key sections are definitely turn nine and the labyrinth at the bottom, but there are also places in the first few curves at the top where you might make big mistakes that don't look bad but cost a lot of time. Innsbruck is, as we say with a wink, a 'children's slide', but every mistake there costs a lot of time. If you don't make any, you can achieve a very good result. I don't know where, but the Austrians still find a 'shortcut' every year, so it's difficult.“

Dominik Fischnaller (ITA): “The race in Winterberg was just amazing. I made so many mistakes and yet it was enough for second place. I would like to thank my coaches for preparing my sled so well. After being ill at the end of December, I'm glad that I got back fit in time. The race was really fun. You can't beat Max at the moment because he doesn't make any mistakes. It would perhaps have been close if I had made no mistakes in the second run. Max is just too strong at the moment. I'm now really looking forward to the European Championships this week in Igls and the World Championships afterwards in Altenberg.“

Felix Loch (GER): “The race in Winterberg proved that the field is extremely close at the moment. I would have liked to be on the podium, of course, but generally things are going quite well. I'm looking forward to Igls, but it will be tough with the strong Austrians, I'm sure of that. It would be nice if Max continues like this and finishes at the front again. That would make me very happy. We just have to be at full speed. Turn nine always has to be right on this track and the start at the top also has to work well. If you are too far away at the top, it becomes very difficult. At the start, however, I'm doing quite well at the moment, so I'm less worried about that. The important thing is to race properly and set up the sled well.“

Andrea Vötter (ITA): “To be honest, I don't really like sledding in Innsbruck-Igls, but I have to put that aside. We can also be very fast there. Marion and I accept the challenge and will do our best. Maybe we'll be able to defend our title.“

Dajana Eitberger (GER): “We weren't unhappy with our fourth place in Winterberg, but of course our egos were a little bruised. However, you just had to reckon with the fact that the established athletes would be up there at the front. In the end, we were only a little behind in fourth place. We've already been to a training camp in Innsbruck this season. It was very relaxed and I hope that we can take our good mood with us. Perhaps we'll make it to the top this week in Innsbruck. Otherwise, we'll try to improve and stay at the top.“

Jessica Degenhardt (GER): “It is always a bit tricky in Innsbruck. The Austrians will be brutally strong there again. We'll make sure that we can work well at the start and then we'll see what comes out on the track. It will certainly be tight, because everyone will try to keep up there.“

Tobias Wendl (GER): “The track in Innsbruck is actually quite good for us, we're just always unlucky with the time gaps. It's always just a few hundredths, but maybe this year the hundredths are on our side and we can defend the title. In any case, we're trying hard and are having a lot of fun at the moment. Innsbruck is a very easy track, everyone slides down there easily. To go fast, you need a lot of runs so that you can just let the sled run in the right places. The start is very steep, which means that everyone gets fast quite quickly, which is why the gaps are so tight. A good feeling for your material is important here. It gets easier when it's colder. The fact that the World Cup also counts as the European Championships makes no difference to us. Regardless of whether it's the Olympic Games or World Cup races, we can build up the same pressure in every race, which means our own pressure. If that's no longer the case, then we should stop competing. No matter which race we do, we want to perform and have a great race.“

Tobias Arlt (GER): “We're really looking forward to the European Championships. We've heard that the track workers are making an effort and the track should be quite good. The weather is also supposed to get colder, and that should go well with our performance. In the end, however, you first have to get it down on this track. The start corner is always very tricky, and the exit from the loop at turn nine also has to be just right. You have to hit the details in the right places on the track and carry the speed with you.“

Juri Gatt (AUT): “We never expected to win in Winterberg. It was the second World Cup success of our career, the first was at home in Igls. We're looking forward to returning there this week and presenting ourselves in good form.“

Riccardo Schöpf (AUT): “It was a shame that Thomas and Wolfi made a mistake at the start in Winterberg. Otherwise they would have won. But it will be a great thing for all of us this week on our home track in Innsbruck. Winterberg is similar in the lower part with the short and fast labyrinth curves, which suits us. We are looking forward to the European Championships and the World Cup at our home track.“

Norbert Loch, Head Coach Germany: “I expect consistent races from my team this week, two clean races to get the competitive spirit, is all I am asking for. I emphasize that again and again. If I cross the finish line straight twice, I'll also be at the front. Everyone's form is good, but now it's time for the ‚cave of the lions‘. I'm sure we'll see a good German team there, but it will be very tough races.“

Schedule & TV coverage

4. EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup, Innsbruck (AUT) & 55th FIL-European Championships

Local start time (CET/MEZ)