Lisa Schulte celebrates her first World Cup victory

Pyeongchang (FIL/16 Feb 2025) When two fight, the other one is happy... Lisa Schulte. With her first victory in the EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup in Pyeongchang, the Austrian has kept her chances of being able to get involved in the battle for the Big Crystal Globe between Madeleine Egle (Austria) and World Champion Julia Taubitz (Germany). Before the final in Beijing, Egle leads with 590 points ahead of Taubitz (570) and Schulte (557).

The 2024 world champion showed two flawless runs on the 2018 Olympic track. In total, the 24-year-old was on the track for 1:32.923 minutes. “I got along well with the track in training,” she said.

Vice World Champion Merle Fräbel (Germany) again finished second (0.372 seconds back) ahead of Hanna Prock. The Austrian surprised with the second-fastest run in the first heat, but fell back after the ninth-best performance (0.377), but was still satisfied. “I found a good line from the start, but I wasn't fast. Why did it work today? I can't say,” said Fräbel.

Latvia's Kendija Aparjode (0.419), Natalie Maag (Switzerland/0.436) and Ashley Farquharson (0.457) took the other places. For the American, sixth place means winning the American Pacific Championship.

While local hero Hyesun Jung secured the title of Asian champion with a time of 1:34.959 minutes, ahead of Peixuan Wang from China (0.438 behind Jung) and her teammate Yubin Shin (+1.391).

Madeleine Egle and Julia Taubitz finished side by side. The Austrian came in seventh (0.477), with Taubitz (0.616) right behind her after a major mistake in the first run, when she had to put both feet on the ice after a board.