Tobogganing
Dream start at World Cup: German sprint doubles go to gold
Won in 26.195 seconds and thus secured gold: Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken in the doubles. photo
© Martin Schutt/dpa
The German luge team got off to a great start at the World Championships in Oberhof.
The German luge team got off to a great start at the World Championships in Oberhof.
In the men’s doubles sprint race, the hoped-for double success was achieved: The Thuringian local heroes Toni Eggert/Sascha Beneken (BRC Ilsenburg/RT Suhl) won in 26.195 seconds, just ahead of Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (RC Berchtesgaden/WSV Königssee), who needed 26.238 seconds. Third place went to the Austrians Yannick Müller/Armin Frauscher (26.241).
As in the previous year, Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal (RRC Altenberg/BSC Winterberg) celebrated gold in the women’s doubles sprint. As the last starters, they set the top time of 31.205 seconds. The sprint competitions are decided after just one run. The Austrians Selina Egle/Lara Kipp (31.221) took second place, third were Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer (31.228) from Italy.
National coach Norbert Loch was very satisfied with the start of the World Cup. “An excellent start with one and two. I predicted this fight between Tobis and Sascha and Toni, and that’s exactly how it happened,” he said of the narrow men’s sprint. “They drove very well, which makes me particularly happy.”