Emily Sweeney, Anton Dukach, Stramaturaru/Manolescu and Wardrope/Zajanski the fastest at the Nations Cup in Winterberg
Winterberg (FIL/17 Jan 2025) On Friday, January 17, 2025, the luge world experienced exciting competitions under ideal racing conditions at the FIL Nations Cup in the VELTINS EisArena in Winterberg. The outstanding athletes of the day were Emily Sweeney from the USA, Anton Dukach from Ukraine, the doubles Raluca Stramaturaru and Mihaela-Carmen Manolescu from Romania and Canada’s Devin Wardrope / Cole Zajanski.
Men's singles: Dukach triumphs with track record
The Ukrainian Anton Dukach delivered an impressive performance and took the victory at the Nations Cup in Winterberg with a fabulous track record. Dukach set a time of 51.274 seconds, reached a top speed of 132.69 km/h and was almost four tenths of a second faster than World Champion Max Langenhan's track record from 2024. Exactly ten years ago, Dukach already had the track record in Winterberg as a junior. “I'm over the moon. This was my first ever Nations Cup victory. I have never stayed under 52.000 seconds here before. Hopefully the track record will last longer and if not, then I'll just have to get it back at the World Cup on Sunday,” said Anton Dukach after the race.
Jonathan Gustafson of the USA was in the lead in the first intermediate times but was 0.103 seconds slower than Dukach with a final time of 51.377 seconds. The Australian Alexander Ferlazzo completed the podium with a bronze medal and a time of 51.408 seconds, just 0.134 seconds behind the winner. Gustafson and Ferlazzo also broke the track record and are in with a chance of a top-10 finish in Sunday's World Cup.
Women's singles: Sweeney dominates
In a thrilling race, Emily Sweeney of the United States delivered an extraordinary performance to set a new track record of 55.194 seconds and win the gold medal at the sixth FIL Nations Cup in Winterberg. Sweeney reached a top speed of 130.90 km/h. Austrian Dorothea Schwarz secured the silver medal with a time of 55.245 seconds, just 0.051 seconds behind Sweeney. Schwarz's time also broke the old track record of 55.323 seconds, which Olympic Champion Natalie Geisenberger had set on November 26, 2016. Italy's Sandra Robatscher rounded off the women's podium with a time of 55.530 seconds and the bronze medal.
Doubles: Canadians Wardrope/Zajanski and Romanians Stramaturaru/Manolescu impress
Women's doubles is the newest discipline in the EBERSPAECHER World Cup. It will be part of the program for the first time in February 2026 at the Winter Olympics. The Nations Cup on January 17, 2025 in Winterberg, Sauerland, was won by Rumanians Raluca Stramaturaru and Mihaela-Carmen Manolescu.
In the Nations Cup men's doubles, Devin Wardrope and Cole Zajanski of Canada took the victory. With a time of 43.033 seconds, the duo Wardrope/Zajanski won. During their run, they reached a top speed of 126.09 km/h. Only one double had originally been faster, namely the Polish team of Wojciech Chmielewski and Jakub Kowalewski, who started with bib number 1. The two Poles were two hundredths of a second faster than the track record set by Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl / Tobias Arlt on January 6, 2024. But Wendl/Arlt still hold the track record with 42.940 seconds, because the Poles Chmielewski/Kowalewski were disqualified due to overweight.
The Latvian double Raimonds Baltgalvis / Uldis Jakseboga secured the silver medal with a final time of 43.173 seconds. Baltgalvis/Jakseboga were ultimately 0.140 seconds behind Wardrope/Zajanski.
The Chinese Saikeyi Jubayi and Shuo Hou, who made history two weeks ago in Latvia with their first Nations Cup victory, delivered an impressive performance and rounded off the podium. With a time of 43.209 seconds, they secured the bronze medal. Hou broke his finger in training in Altenberg, so the Chinese team will have to live with major restrictions at the start for the time being and only the athlete in front can paddle with his spikes.
Nation's Cup and outlook on the EBERSPAECHER World Cup
The Nations Cup in Winterberg, which is traditionally held the day before the first World Cup race, offered athletes the opportunity to qualify for the sixth EBERSPAECHER World Cup of the season. The fastest 18 singles and the first twelve doubles secured starting places for the World Cup on Saturday and Sunday. The top twelve sleds in each category are automatically qualified for the World Cup. They will train on Friday, January 17, starting at 2:30 p.m., as part of the seeded group.
The luge world is eagerly looking forward to the 6th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup and the 56th FIL European Championships, which are taking place as a race-within-a-race in the VELTINS EisArena in Winterberg on Saturday, January 18 and Sunday, January 19.
Detailed results and more information are available at the following links:
56th FIL EM: https://www.fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/56th-fil-european-championships
6th EBERSPAECHER World Cup: https://www.fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/eberspaecher-world-cup-40
Schedule 6th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup, Winterberg (GER)
& 56th FIL European Championships
Local start time (CET/MEZ)
Friday, January 17, 2025
2:30 p.m. Training seeded group
Saturday, January 18, 2025
10:30 hrs Men's Doubles, 1st run
11:15 hrs Women's Doubles, 1st run
12:30 hrs Men's Doubles, 2nd run
13:05 hrs Women's Doubles, 2nd run
14:00 hrs Women's Singles, 1st run
15:20 hrs Women's Singles, 2nd run
Sunday, January 19, 2025
09:25 hrs Men's single, 1st run
10:45 hrs Men's single, 2nd run
12:30 hrs Team relay
All information is subject to change!
