The men’s result at the Luge World Cup in Oberhof was a minor matter on Sunday. The Latvian Krister Aparjods won ahead of World Cup leader Max Langenhan and the Austrian David Gleirscher, but only the regulations were discussed. The bad weather with high temperatures and rain had made the track increasingly slow, so that only the athletes who finished far back in the first round and thus had an early starting number in round two really had a chance.
The knowledge of this led to grotesque scenes. The top athletes deliberately braked in the first run, had their feet on the ice for a long time or made deliberate mistakes. “That was more poker than tobogganing,” complained Olympic champion Felix Loch, who came seventh. “You notice straight away when you start driving that you are lying extremely heavy on the ice because the surface is so soft. We then came up with a few things, Felix (Loch, editor) said that I should put my feet down,” said Langenhan in an interview with the ARD sports show: “You just have to gamble a little “in this weather.”
“It’s a bit ridiculous”
After seventh place in the first round, his tactics didn’t quite work this time. Last week in Altenberg, Langenhan crowned a comeback from 21st place. “We are now the victims of the weather. The victory for Kristers is deserved,” said the overall World Cup leader, who extended his lead over his pursuer Jonas Müller (Austria/4th).
After there were similar conditions and scenes in Altenberg a week ago, the athletes are calling for a quick rethink by the world association FIL. “The regulations allow the seeded group with the top people to drive ahead in the first run in bad weather conditions and everyone has the same conditions,” said Loch on ARD. Normally the starting order is drawn. “I don’t often criticize, but today we should have thought about letting the seeded riders drive in front,” said Loch: “It’s a bit ridiculous when you have to brake in the first run in order to have a good one in the second run To have a starting position.”
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Langenhan also admitted to actively braking. “But it still wasn’t enough,” said the season’s dominator, who, coming seventh in the first round, saved his podium place with a sparkling clean ride in the second round. “It’s a shame for the sport, but you want to win and then you do everything you can to achieve it,” said Langenhan. On Saturday, Merle Fräbel won a toboggan world cup for the first time in slightly better conditions. The 20-year-old from Suhl won ahead of Madeleine Egle from Austria and her two teammates Julia Taubitz and Anna Berreiter.