Setback for Max Langenhan: The Thuringian luger had to admit defeat for the first time this season at the World Cup in Innsbruck and lost his European title.
The World Cup stop on the Olympic track in Innsbruck/Igls was also the European Championships. On Sunday (January 14, 2024) it was the Austrian local heroes who dominated the continental title fights. Jonas Müller secured European Championship gold ahead of Nico Gleirscher (+0.326 seconds).
Result – Men’s Singles Arrow Right
Langenhan: “Simply a really bad race”
Defending champion Max Langenhan also made it into the medal ranks in third place, but after two runs he was already clearly 0.428 seconds behind Müller. For Austria it was the third European Championship title in the fourth race of the weekend.
“I’m super dissatisfied. I just delivered a really bad race. That’s disappointing,” said the 24-year-old. “In the end, it’s about achieving your best performance in the competition. I couldn’t do that at the start or in the track.”
Impressive series comes to an end
For Langenhan it was the first setback of the season. And that, of all things, before the home World Cup in Altenberg at the end of January. So far, the Friedrichrodaer has been the measure of all things. Before the World Cup in Innsbruck, he had won all single-seater competitions, and he even had ten World Cup victories in a row across all seasons.
As so often this season, record world champion Felix Loch followed suit. In the end, the Berchtesgarden resident came eighth (0.684 seconds). Things didn’t go much better for Timon Grancagnolo (Chemnitz) in 16th place and David Nößler (Schmalkaden) in 20th place.
Langenhan fights in vain
Langenhan was already behind the local heroes in the first run. In fourth place, he was over three tenths of a second behind the eventual winner Müller, who had set a new track record (49.288 seconds). Langenhan was able to improve slightly in the final round, but it was no longer enough to challenge for the title.
In the women’s category, Julia Taubitz had also missed out on European Championship gold the day before, coming second behind the Austrian Madeleine Egle. The German doubles women Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal won the title. The three-time Olympic champions Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt had to settle for third place after a weak first run.