Aqotec World Cup Natural Track Luge Umhausen (AUT) - Preview

 

FIL Aqotec WORLD CUP

NATURALTRACK LUGE

 

PressInformation

Thursday, January 7^th, 2010

 

8^th/9^th January 2010

Umhausen/Oetztal(AUT)

 

100^th World Cup race happens to bethe Umhausen classic

The natural track luge World Cupwill celebrate an anniversary this coming weekend: 17 years after the firstrace was held in December 1992 the night event in Umhausen will be the 100^thrace in the world cup's history. The winners in the first race in Rautavaara inFinlandwere Gerhard Pilz (AUT), Ljubov Panjutina (RUS) and Helmut Ruetz/Andi Ruetz(AUT). Only Gerhard Pilz is still active in the community, these days as thecoach of the German team.

A lot has changed between Rautavaara1992 and Umhausen 2010 knows Herbert Wurzer, World Cup director and initiatorof the world cup: "The most influencial changes were the start order, thequality of result lists and the marketing. At the beginning the start order wasthe result of a random draw, then we had groups of seeded athletes which wasreally confusing and not very spectator friendly. Now the start order isaccording to the World Cup ranking and everybody knows that the best athletesstart at the end." Everybody has come to take it for granted that result listsare available as soon as the last athlete passes the finish line. "A lot haschange here, too. We have the same type of lists at all races so that coaches,athletes, spectators and media people know what to expect and where to look forwhatever information they want", says Wurzer. "When we introduced sequence timesfor the respective parts of the track, it took a couple of years to find a goodformat. Today I think we have the highest level of result processing that canbe reached. Also that host cities of World Cups receive financial support isquite new. This is only possible because we have sponsors and they bring inmoney. This was not the case 17 years ago."

 

In the 100^th race, thefirst on European soil in this winter, the duel between serial winner PatrickPigneter (ITA) and rookie Thomas Schopf (AUT) will most likely be continued.But local heroes Thomas and Gerald Kammerlander (AUT) will also be strongcontenders on their home track.

In the women's event the eternalfight between Ekaterina Lavrentjeva (RUS), Renate Gietl (ITA) and MelanieBatkowski (AUT) will go in its next round.

In the double's event PatrickPigneter/Florian Clara (ITA) will be the ones to beat, but they will have topresent themselves on new equipment as they totalled their sled in their crashin Novouralsk.

As always in Umhausen the single'sevents will be held as a night race. The double seaters will open the 100^thWorld Cup at noonat daylight.

 

Track Info "Grantau":

 

Length: 1000m

Elevation Start: 1160m

Elevation Finish: 1040m

Difference: 120m

Average Descent: 12,1%

 

Program:

 

Friday, 8 Jan 2010

12.00pm: 1.Training run women and men

02.00pm: 1.Training run doubles

04.00pm: 2.Trainings run doubles

06.30pm: 2.Training run women and men

 

Saturday, 9 Jan 2010

10.30am: 1.competition run doubles

12:00am: 2.competition run doubles

05.00pm: 1.competition run women and men

07.00pm: 2.competition run women and men

09.00pm: Medal Ceremonies

 

ChrisKarl

FILMedia Service