In Oberhof, Felix Loch brings back memories of more dominant days: The last home World Cup before the Olympics is becoming a much-needed triumph. Women and doubles still win the race.
A broad grin for the cameras, a greeting to the cheering crowd in Oberhof, and then Felix Loch said goodbye to the German ice rinks for this winter.”The first and the second run were awesome, so you can start towards the Olympics”, said Germany’s flagship tobogganist.
The sovereign victory at the last home World Cup of the season should give the necessary momentum for the winter games in Pyeongchang – in the next four weeks we will go for Loch almost without a stopover to the World Cups in Lillehammer and Sigulda and then immediately to South Korea.
“We hardly have time now,”Loch said,”so these impressions are important. The sled is running, we are very well prepared for the material this winter. It was also really good at the start.
And above all, two spotless runs, that’s what it was so lacking in last year.”
And even in the past few weeks, it had set for Loch annoying and avoidable defeats in Lake Placid and on its main track at the Königssee. Now the relief followed.
The ice chute at the Thuringian Forest, however, is also more suitable than almost no other chute to increase its shape: Loch clinched his eighth World Cup victory in series, and in 2008, at the age of 18, he was crowned World Champion for the first time.
On Sunday he won before the Russian Semen Pawlitschenko and local hero Andi Langenhan (Zella-Mehlis). Loch thus rounded off a strong weekend from a German point of view. Previously, the women and two-seaters had already secured a one-two-three win and a double victory.
Dajana Eitberger (Ilmenau) used her home advantage and relegated Olympic champion Natalie Geisenberger (Miesbach) and world champion Tatjana Huefner (Blankenburg) to the places.
However, Geisenberger remains the big favourite for gold in Pyeongchang:”Dajana was the better one here,” said the World Cup leader:”We three don’t give each other anything, each of us can win at any time.
In the doubles, world champion Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken (Ilsenburg/Suhl) won on their home track ahead of Olympic champions Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (Berchtesgaden/Königssee). Only seven thousandths of a second made the difference.
“As long as it remains so close between the two doubles, I don’t care who lands in the lead,”said national coach Norbert Loch:”If they rub against each other like today, it’s the best preparation for the Olympics,” but Eggert/Benecken are clearly ahead in the fight for the overall World Cup.