At the start of the new season, Olympic luge champion Felix Loch is still running after the formerly almost self-evident victories. Just three months before the winter games in Pyeongchang, the 28-year-old finished third in the first World Cup in Igls, Austria, after a weak first run.
The victory was secured on Sunday by the Russian Semen Pawlitschenko ahead of local hero and world champion Wolfgang Kindl.
Hole was seven hundredths of a second behind the winner. Ralf Palik (Oberwiesenthal) finished fifth, Andi Langenhan (Zella-Mehlis) finished ninth in the Top 10. Johannes Ludwig (Suhl/19.) and Julian von Schleinitz (Königsee/22.), on the other hand, completely disappointed.
On Saturday, Olympic champion Natalie Geisenberger (Miesbach) had led the women’s event with a German triple victory. The 29-year-old won ahead of Dajana Eitberger (Ilmenau) and world champion Tatjana Huefner (Blankenburg). With their victory, the world champion Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken (Ilsenburg/Suhl) set the first exclamation point for the two-seaters, and the Olympic champions Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (Berchtesgaden/Königssee) finished third.
Hole, two-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion, was without a title last winter. Unusual driving mistakes and big problems with the sled had lasted throughout the whole season. However, Loch feels much better positioned for this far more important winter.
In Igls, however, he missed out on victory mainly due to a faulty first run, after which he finished in seventh place. In case of heavy snowfall, Loch worked his way forward in the second run.