Egle/Kipp continue winning streak - Wendl/Arlt in record mood

Oberhof (FIL/25.01.2025) Seventh race of the season in the EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup in Oberhof, sixth victory in a row for Selina Egle and Lara Kipp. “It's incredible, I'm really a bit speechless that the wave of success continues,” said Egle. In addition, the two have improved their own track record from 42.382 seconds to 42.060. However, Dajana Eitberger/Magdalena Matschina (Germany) briefly held the record for a few minutes in 42.350 seconds. The start record was also improved. Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer are the old and new holders. Instead of 7.627 seconds, the new record is 7.602.

Egle/Kipp achieved the best time twice. In the end, they needed 1:24.135 minutes for the two runs. With this victory, the world champions from Austria were of course able to defend their lead in the overall World Cup. Even better, they were able to extend their lead even further. They have collected 650 points after seven of nine World Cup races, with a 90-point lead over the German double Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal. In the race result from Oberhof, exactly one tenth of a second is missing compared to the winners. “We can be happy with second place every week, but we always end up with a teary eye,” confessed Degenhardt, ‘we would love to win again.’ Nevertheless, the German double is encouraging. ‘We can catch up with the tenth of a second that we are behind Egle/Kipp,’ said Degenhardt, ”that's our goal too.”

Dajana Eitberger was beaming at the finish. Together with her teammate Madalena Matschina, the German made it onto the podium for the first time this season. “We didn't expect to finish third,” said Eitberger. But Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer made a mistake at the exit of turn 13, causing them to crash into the boards and have to brace themselves with their feet on the ice to avoid falling. In the end, Eitberger/Matschina were 0.478 seconds behind Egle/Kipp, Vötter/Oberhofer 0.481. The US double Chevonne Forgen/Sophia Kirkby (0.762) came in fifth ahead of the young German team Elisa-Marie Storch and Pauline Patz (1.010).

In the men's race, the experienced Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt continued their winning streak. The six-time Olympic champions won in 1:22.808 seconds, setting both the starting and the track record. First, they improved their own starting record from December 2024 from 7.252 seconds to 7.235, while the track record of 41.320 seconds had been held by their former teammates Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken since 2022. Now Wendl/Arlt's new best time stands at 41.276. “We did our homework well over the summer,” said Tobias Wendl, “we have been fast at the start all winter, but there has been a little hitch with the material. But we are getting better and better at that too.” And Tobias Arlt added, with the World Championships in mind: “Now we have a strengthened self-confidence. We know what we are capable of.”

Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz were left with nothing. The two young Germans had won in December, but this time they missed out by just 0.068 seconds. “I'm not satisfied at all,” said Orlamünder, “I had two bad starts and two bad runs.” They made mistakes in both runs. By contrast, the Austrians Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl were satisfied with their third place (0.238 seconds back). “After three fourth places in a row, it was a small breakthrough,” said Steu, who was in front, “I didn't expect us to be able to keep up so well at the start, that was one of the keys to our success.”

Martins Bots and Roberts Plume (Latvia/0.341 seconds back) finished fourth ahead of Toni Eggert and Florian Müller (Germany/0.366) and Juri Gatt/Riccardo Schöpf (Austria/0.459).