Germany triumphs in the Team Relay at the end of the World Championships

Altenberg (FIL/28 Jan 2024) The German team knows how to win the Team Relay also with the women's doubles. The sextet of Julia Taubitz, Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt, Max Langenhan and Dajana Eitberger/Saskia Schirmer won the title at the end of the 52nd FIL Luge World Championships in Altenberg. It is their tenth title in twelve competitions so far. Their final time was 3:10.869 minutes.

Behind them, in second place, however, were not the favored Austrians with World Champions Lisa Schulte and Selina Egle/Lara Kipp, together with Nico Gleirscher and Juri Gatt/Riccardo Schöpf, but the US team with Summer Britcher, Dana Kellogg/Frank Ike, Tucker West, Chevonne Forgan/Sophia Kirkby, who finished 0.358 seconds behind the winners and celebrated their silver medals exuberantly. 

With a gap of 0.406 seconds, the bronze medal went to the Latvian team (Elina Vitola, Martins Bots/Roberts Plume, Kristers Aparjods, Anda Upite/Zane Kaluma).

"Actually, we were no longer the favorites at all, but suddenly we were able to cope best with the conditions," said Thomas Schwab, Chairman of the Board of the German Bobsleigh and Luge Federation. He had also expected the Austrian team to win, but they only finished in sixth place (3.776 seconds behind) after some flawed runs. Italy (1.008) and the People's Republic of China (3.544) finished ahead of them.