2nd Luge Sprint World Championships Igls 2017

     

#rodelwm2017

The second edition of the Sprint World Championships got underway with crowded and hard fought qualifications.

Have run into the Austrian track as many as 125 slides (45 women, 29 doubles and 51 men).

Italy wore a blue suit, specially produced for the World Championships.

Started the women. Thousandth detachments: only 148 thousandths between the first, Julia Taubiz (GER) and 15th, Miriam Kastlunger (AUT). For Italy, Andrea Vötter qualified 10th, Sandra Robatcher, who finished in 26th position, has been excluded from the Sprint World Championship.

Fewer surprises as regards the doubles, dominated by the Germans in the order, which this year we more frequently see: Eggert/Benecken, Wendl/Arlt, Geueke/Gamm. Fourth Penz/Fischler (AUT), whose doctors have given the go ahead, even if Georg does not yet appear to have recovered his best shape.

The Sprint confirms a scarecrow for Rieder/Rastner, which, because of a big mistake on the curve 11, concluded last. Gruber/Kainzwaldner out from 15 for 4 cents, got ranking 16th. Qualified 10th Oberstolz/Gruber.

As for men, best time of Dominik Fischnaller, followed by Kindl 30 thousandths behind and Repilov. Just 9th Loch. Also qualified Kevin Fischnaller, 8th, and Theo Gruber, 13th. Unfortunately 16th Emanuel Rieder for 1 cent.

We noticed the smoke stream that accompanies the passage of athletes under the arch that marks the beginning of timekeeping. They had been informed, but not everyone reacted the same way. Sandra Robatscher, for example, told us: "I knew it, but it has surprised me anyway and I had some problems." On the other hand, Theo Gruber told us: "I knew it and fortunately it hasn't created me big problems of visibility."

At 13:30 the women started the race on time. Everything seemed already written, but, due to a mistake of Geisenberger, the new Champion of the World is the American Erin Hamlin (30 "074)! Second the defending Champion, the Swiss Martina Kocher, just 9 thousandths behind, who detachs of just one thousandth the Olympic Champion of Vancouver 2010, Tatjana Hüfner. 14th Andrea Vötter, just 163 thousandths from the gold.

The doubles competition started well for the Italian colors, with Oberstolz/Gruber who have recovered several positions than in qualifying, finishing 6th, at 68 thousandths from the podium. Fortunately there are no expected results on the sled, so, thanks to some mistakes of their opponents, the race was won by the solid Wendl/Arlt (29 "843). 

Second surprisingly, Penz / Fischler (+0.106), local heroes, who triggered the enthusiasm of the crowd. Third Eggert/Benecken (+0.113), who have conducted an imperfect race.

The men closed the day with a competition in which much was expected from Dominik Fischnaller, after the fastest time set in this morning's qualifying. Unfortunately, some mistakes have led him on the third step of the podium, 123 thousandths behind Wolfgang Kindl, local matador and new World Champion (32 "467). Silver the leader of the World Cup Roman Repilov (+0.012).
"I am very satisfied with this result" -said Fischnaller just after the Flower Ceremony- "a bronze at the Worlds is a great result for me!"
Theo Gruber has finished in 7th place and Kevin Fischnaller, extracted for doping control with his cousin and Repilov, 9th.

paola castaldi

You can read the Italian translation at the following link: http://www.oasport.it/2017/01/slittino-mondiali-igls-2017-il-racconto-della-giornata-dominik-fischnaller-sul-podio-ma-senza-quegli-errori/

Tandem interview with Ludwig Rieder and Patrick Rastner

Junior World Championships 2010 in Igls Ph: Rieder/Rastner

Fast&Cool: If I remember correctly, in 2017 you celebrate 10 years of career together. Tell us how did you meet and make a budget?

Hansjörg Raffl 
Ph: Günther Taschler

Ludwig Rieder: Our meeting was a bit special.. I was driving well in the single, when Hansjörg Raffl made me an offer: if I had passed to the doubles I would have had the chance to participate in the Junior World Championships in America! I had to choose a partner among three proposed folks. We spoke at length and he explained me the strengths and weaknesses of each. I knew Hansjörg has great experience and knows in detail the things he speaks about. After two or three days of reflection, I went to Patrick and asked him if he wanted to compete in the double with me... and he told me "Yes" immediately, without thinking twice! The next day we started right away very well. In these 10 years we have had many very difficult stages. We have fallen many times, but he is a person who always looks ahead. To work together, in the early years he had to "study" me, but now I have to observe and adapt myself to him. We have had also many beautiful moments, that I always remember with pleasure. We can say that we are a perfect double in every way!

Patrick Rastner: We met in the 2007 Junior Team. We have had many ups and downs, but we have always tried to improve and move forward.

Ph: Rieder/Rastner

F&C: Could you explain, from your point of view, the practical differences on the sled before and after Ludwig's eyes surgery (editor's note: Spring 2014)? How was it to adapt to the change?

L: The first season after surgery has been very hard for me: everything was different. The reference points that had set a year before were no longer suitable to my new way of seeing and I had to learn again and regain confidence. But now, I'm happy and I can say that the decision to tackle the operation has been good both for my life and for my sport.

P: I think he sees better the entrances and exits of the curves. Now he no longer needs to concentrate always to see well and can put the head flat, furthering our aerodynamics.

F&C: Compared to the team I met 11 years ago, today's Italian Luge National team is less constant in performance. Why, in your opinion? What do you do as a team and as individuals, to change this trend?

The Italian Luge National team 2016/17

L: Definitely we have a very difficult road ahead in all respects because our predecessors have won many medals. We have a rather heavy legacy on the shoulders, but we're young. We have not a track to train on and to make tests on the materials, we have no training center and our sport is professionalizing more and more. I think these are some of the reasons why we can not express ourselves to the top of our potential, but this team is growing day by day and I'm sure that in the future we'll be able to achieve a lot more. Be sure that we are doing everything possible to improve! ... We ask you to have just a little patience ...
P: We all are still young and lacks a bit of experience, particularly on the tracks in America, because we train there infrequently. We always try to be 100% focused from the first heat and then we talk very much and we compare ourselves to understand and correct mistakes.

Antonio Tartaglia

Mattias Schnitzer ph: Arthur Kofler

F&C: What has changed for you with the arrival of Antonio Tartaglia (editor's note: new physiotherapist) and Mattias Schnitzer (editor's note: new athletic coach)?

L: For us it has changed almost everything! We have learned so many new things, such as how to keep the body relaxed and how to work better. We have learned to feel more how our physical works and that we have to respect it. Also implement these aspects that nobody sees is usefull to improve.
P: Both of them are really good, they work so hard and try everything to help us to become faster. With Mattias we work so much on the start, to improve the speed. With Anthony we are becoming more loose on the sled. This helps us to feel better the vehicle and to commit less mistakes.

The 1st podium in Winterberg, November 30th 2013 Ph: Rieder/Rastner

F&C: Last Saturday in Sigulda you got your second podium in the senior World Cup (editor's note: the first was in Winterberg November 30th 2013). Which were your feelings?

The podium in Sigulda

L: For us, this podium is like a victory! The pressure we felt on our shoulders disappeared as by magic. We waited three long years for the second podium and we were really happy. This result is very good for the motivation, and confirms us that we have chosen the right path over the years. Now we want to keep growing. We know we are not in the position to make a podium at every race, but we want to reach that position 😀... and we don't want to wait three more years!
P: It's good to get on the podium, especially in this season in which it's really hard to beat the Germans, Americans and Austrians... This result gives us new motivation for the World Championships and the next races.

F&C: The start is one of your strong points, but in Sigulda drive well until the last meter is very important to get results ... and on Saturday you have driven well. What do you do to improve the driving phase?

25° Gitschberg Start Cup Meransen 2016

L: We know we have to always start quickly and we are surprised of the times that we set. We are aware to have made a big step forward in terms of aerodynamics due to new slide, especially in the last part of the track, but perhaps also the experience is starting to have its weight. Before and during the race we thought just to drive the curves in the smoothest possible way and to regain immediately speed. With the looseness that we have this year we can get more speed on the track. The special training we are doing for the coordination helps us a lot, but the best thing for us is to look at our "veterans" Oberstolz and Gruber, who always drive perfectly and from whom we can always learn so much!
P: The start is very important, especially on short tracks, because then you don't have much time to take back what you have lost in the starting phase. To improve guidance we make videos on the track and we look at Oberstolz/Gruber, because they are the best in driving. Even the coaches, who observe our heats, help us so much to gradually eliminate the mistakes we still make.

Sigulda 2017

F&C: In a week there will be the World Championships in Igls. One of the shorter tracks and on which a good start plays a fundamental role in the race budget. How do you get to this date? What do you think you can achieve?

L: I think that by next week we'll be able to show for what we worked throughout the year, and we are very hungry! Right now we are in good shape, maybe we have never been so well and thanks to this podium in Sigulda we are more motivated than ever! We want to risk it all and then we will see which placement we will get... We are happy and ready to make a good race!

P: We will try to start and ride well, and then we'll see.. we can be fast. Much depends also on the weather and therefore by the equipement we'll have to choose. I think that a ranking in the top six is realistic.

paola castaldi

The non-winners of Königssee

You can almost say that the world is divided into two kinds of news readers: those who read JUST the sports news and those who NEVER read the sports news!

Let's face it, almost always, who writes of sports simply exalts the winners or mocks the losers.

Last Saturday, at Frankfurt Airport, I leafed through all the German newspapers. It left me incredulos a paragraph relating to the just concluded luge European Championships. 12 lines about 5 centimeters wide, of which 8.5 used to denigrate who, according to the anonymous writer, should have won, but was not even on the podium. 3 lines to quote (just) the names of the top two finishers in the men's singles. I don't reveal which was the newspaper to avoid the contempt to it.

Honestly I struggle to understand this kind of aggressive and arrogant approach. How can someone into cover behind a keyboard spread vitriolic judgments against girls and boys who work hard and sometimes risk their lives to let the show go on?
I think every athlete is a person and has a much more interesting story than any list of race times or points in the standings. I think these stories deserve to be told and read with respect and attention from those who call themselves enthusiasts in sports and not in statistics or numerology.

Europeans and World Cup in Bavaria have decreed the winners, to which has been paid all the due attention, but I believe the same attention should go to all the nearly 160 present athletes.
Talk about each one would be impossible, so I'll tell you of 5 of them through some episodes, in which they have been key players last week in Königssee.

SANDRA ROBATSCHER 

The young South Tyrolean doesn't love the difficult Bavarian track. During the official trainings she has managed to bring only 4 runs to the end, crashing in two.
Despite this, on Wednesday she run the Nations Cup, finishing 7th. She managed to qualify and was ranked 15th at the European Championships. She has been also one of the few athletes to complete also the second heat, under an intense and treacherous snowfall.
Sandra did not give up, she hung tough and faced her demons. At 21 years just turned is much more "big" than some people who are twice his actual age!

ANDI LANGENHAN

Andi has closed 2016 with a 3rd place in the Park City Sprint Cup. Since the beginning of the season he has already racked up three podium finishes.  However, sooner or later all the lugers have to face an insidious enemy that not always can defeat: back pain. After only one official training run, Andi had to stop and preferred to give up the race on Friday. Definitely get home in advance, giving up to play for the European Championship has cost him, but the goal of the season are the World Championships in Igls and every athlete knows that he needs to submit there in a great shape.
Andi is a smart guy, who is studying to prepare for its future, and we're sure he will be back soon on the sled, with the usual determination.

DAVID GLEIRSCHER

The young Austrian, who won the Nations Cup on Wednesday, on Friday concluded the first heat in the rear of the standing. Although it was impossible to improve considerably, he has started in the second run. Arrived in the Schlangengrube (editor's note: the snake's den), he anticipated too much to exit from a curve, slamming on the left. He has been thrown with his face against the right wall, one leg over the protections, and has rolled down, followed by his slide. The mind is immediately run to Vancouver. February 12th, 2010. Fortunately, in addition to a good fright and many bruises, there were no consequences. Just a few hours later, it was the same David to reassure everyone from the hospital in Bad Reichenhall on his Faceboock profile: "... Fortunately I have just a black eye. It still hurts the neck, but now I recharge the batteries to get back to attack again in Sigulda! .. "

CHRIS MAZDZER

In January 2016 Chris finished 4th at the World Championships both in the traditional format, and in the Sprint.

Friday he dropped a not excellent but fairly good first heat. Unfortunately in the second run he approached wrongly the "false straight" and closed 29th.

It happens, it's the sport, but what does a guy grown up near a mountain lake, when he wants to clear his head? He dives into the icy water!

                                                                    

AILEEN FRISCH

I met Aileen in early 2013. Young German promise, Junior World Champion in charge. Then other athletes came and won in the competition to access to the Teutonic National team. In 2014, Aileen unexpectedly announced her retirement from competitive sport.
In view of the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeong Chang, South Korea decided to strengthen its ranks in order to hope for good results in the household Olympics. They contacted Aileen and she agreed to change nationality and get back on the sled.
On Friday, thanks to her presence, for the first time the Korean Relay team seemed to have some hope of getting an honorable result, but Aileen has crashed in the Labyrinth. On the same track where she was ranked 3rd in January 2013.





Most of these episodes, fortunately, hurt more to the pride, than to the body, but next weekend in Sigulda they will be already part of the past. They will be just experiences to leave behind and from which learn some small or great life lessons.



paola castaldi

At the following link you can read the Italian version of this article:
http://www.oasport.it/2017/01/slittino-fatti-e-misfatti-della-tappa-di-coppa-del-mondo-a-koenigssee/

Königssee Chronicles

 

paola castaldi