World Cup
Farewell greeting from the son: champagne shower for the national toboggan coach
Luger Felix Loch took second place in Sigulda. photo
© Roman Koksarov/AP/dpa
The German lugers said goodbye to national coach Norbert Loch with a victory in the team relay. Son Felix has come up with something special.
Son Felix had prepared a very special farewell greeting for the outgoing national toboggan coach Norbert Loch. The head coach was celebrated in Sigulda with a champagne shower and chants.
“I know he hates this,” said the three-time Olympic champion Felix Loch about the fun event that he came up with together with the overall World Cup winner Max Langenhan, who was missing in Latvia.
An extraordinary era that lasted 16 years ended on Sunday with the overall World Cup victory ahead of arch-rivals Austria in the team relay. “This is a happy moment because it turned out successfully,” said Norbert Loch and was once again proud of his lugers. Loch emphasized “above all the team effort”. His successor as head coach will be 47-year-old double Olympic champion Patric Leitner.
“I was happy because he was happy”
Since 2008, Loch and his team have won a total of 119 medals at World Championships and Olympic Games – his son Felix is not entirely innocent of the haul. After the last men’s race of the season, his dad gave him a hug. “That’s a perfect ending. It was really emotional when I saw I was second. I was happy because he’s happy,” said 34-year-old Felix Loch. After two individual victories in Latvia last weekend, that came Three-time Olympic champion in second place. The 13-time world champion missed his 53rd career victory in the World Cup, but came third in the overall standings behind Langenhan and day winner Kristers Aparjods from Latvia.
Double success for women
Julia Taubitz (28), who was also already established as the overall World Cup winner and best sprinter, did not make it onto the podium for the first time in the twelfth and final race of the season. Despite being in the lead at half time, the Saxon only finished ninth. “I’m happy that I have the balls. But ending the season like this isn’t quite as nice,” she said. Anna Berreiter (24) and Merle Fräbel (20) did better. The Bavarian and the Thuringian made it onto the podium in second and third place. “This is a crowning conclusion to my season,” said Berreiter, who came second overall.
The doubles women secured a double success on Saturday. Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal came out ahead of Dajana Eitberger and Saskia Schirmer. The Italians Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer won the overall World Cup by a large margin ahead of the two German teams. The six-time Olympic luge champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt missed their sixth victory in the overall World Cup.
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