FIL World Junior Championships Natural Track Luge - Deutschnofen (ITA) - Preview

FIL World Junior Championships

Natural Track Luge

Press Information

Thursday, January 28^th, 2010

7^th World Junior Championships in

Deutschnofen/Nova Ponente (ITA), Jan 29^th -31^st, 2010

Medals for under 20 athletes

Every two years the athletes aged under 20 are competing for medals in the World Junior Championships. This year’s event, the seventh edition so far, will be held in Nova Ponente/Deutschnofen (ITA). Just in time two junior racers managed to achieve promising results in the adult class, Hannes Clara (ITA) and Evelin Lanthaler (ITA) will be strong contenders for the gold medals in their respective races.

18-year-old Evelin Lanthaler demonstrated her skills by winning the silver medal in the European Championships and proved one week later with a third place in the World Cup that her medal was not won on a lucky day. Hannes Clara can look back to several podium finishes, but managed to win his first World Cup just last week by defeating superstar Patrick Pigneter. Clara’s strongest competitor in the junior Championships could come from his own teammate. Alex Gruber has recommended himself with some first places in training runs and by winning the Italian Championships.

The large Russian team – always performing best in championships – might be good for the one or the other surprise. In the seniors’ category Russia has become one of the strongest nations, now it will be seen if they can play a major role in the eternal fight between Austria’s and Italy’s juniors.

In the double’s category no juniors have managed to succeed in FIL World Cup competition.

Everything remains open and this might be a chance for the up and coming nations like Ukraine or Bulgaria. Germany is expected to surprise one day soon since the two Austrian former world class athletes Gerhard Pilz and Herbert Koegl are in charge of the German team now.

In World as well as European Championships the singles have to complete three runs, whereas doubles’ events are held in two runs, just like the World Cup.

The medallists and top-6 of the 2008 Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) World Championships were:

Junior Men:

1. Christian SCHWARZ (ITA)

2. Hannes CLARA (ITA)

3. Dominik WAGNER (AUT)

4. Michael SCHEIKL (AUT)

5. Thomas SCHOPF (AUT)

6. Thomas KAMMERLANDER (AUT)

Junior Women:

1. Melanie BATKOWSKI (AUT)

2. Evelin LANTHALER (ITA)

3. Melanie SCHWARZ (ITA)

4. Katrin MLADEK (AUT)

5. Alexandra OBRIST (ITA)

6. Jasmin GOEGELE (ITA)

Junior Doubles:

1. Thomas WEISS/Andreas LEITER (ITA)

2. Hannes CLARA/Florian CLARA (ITA)

3. Dominik APOLLONER/Dieter APOLLONER (AUT)

4. Rupert BRÜGGLER/Dominik HOLZKNECHT (AUT)

5. Pavel SILIN/Ivan RODIN (RUS)

6. Thomas KAMMERLANDER/Christof REGENSBURGER (AUT)

Track Info „Pfoeslriep“:

Start Elevation: 1505m

Finish Elevation: 1384m

Difference: 121m

Length of Track: 871m

Max Descent: 16%

Min Descent: 5%

Average Descent: 13%

Program:

Friday, 29.01.2010:

9.00am: 1^st Training Run Men and Women

11.30am: 2^nd Training Run Men and Women

1.00pm: 1^st Training Run doubles

2.00pm: 2^nd training run doubles

7.00pm: Opening Ceremony

Saturday, 30.01.2010:

9:30am: 1st Competition Run Doubles

11:00am: 2nd Competition Run Doubles

afterward - Flower Ceremony

1:00pm: 1st Competition Run Women and Men

Sunday, 31.01.2010:

9.30am: 2^nd Competition Run Women and Men

11.30am: 3^rd Competition Run Women and Men

afterward - Flower Ceremony

1:30pm: Medal Ceremony

Chris Karl

FIL Media Service