Category: Winter Sports

by Abhishek Shukla

Second win of the season for defending World Cup Champion Tina Hermann in Altenberg

Altenberg (RWH) Tina Hermann (GER), defending World Cup title holder in the women’s  skeleton, celebrated her second victory in the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024 on her home  track in Altenberg (GER).In the seventh of eight races this season, the record-breaking World  Champion (four titles) stood at the top of the World Cup podium for the 19th time in total.  

In second place, World Champion Susanne Kreher (GER, 0.10 seconds behind) celebrated her  first podium finish of the season in front of her home crowd in Altenberg.  

Push World Champion Mystique Ro from the USA (0.24 seconds back), seventh after the first  run in Altenberg, finished third eventually and celebrated her third podium finish of the current  World Cup winter.  

In the overall standings for the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024, World Championship silver  medallist Kimberley Bos from the Netherlands defended her lead ahead of the final in Lake  Placid (USA, 21-23 March 2024) with fifth place in Altenberg and now 1370 points. With a 216- point lead, her second overall victory after 2022 is almost impossible to take. Skeleton  European Champion Kim Meylemans from Belgium remains second overall with 1154 points  after finishing 14th in Altenberg. World Cup title defender Tina Hermann (GER, 1138), who is  not nominated for the German team for the upcoming BMW IBSF World Championships in  Winterberg, moved up to third place overall with her victory in Altenberg. 

by Abhishek Shukla

World Curling partners with StreamAMG to relaunch The Curling Channel

Perth, Scotland – Word Curling has partnered with StreamAMG to relaunch their streaming platform, The Curling Channel, ahead of the World Junior Curling Championships 2024 taking place in Lohja, Finland.
 
The service will be powered by StreamAMG’s new BLAZE platform and will offer all of World Curling’s live and on-demand content.
 
As part of World Curling’s Big Ideas strategy and following the recent brand refresh, the platform aims to develop the future of the streaming offering provided by the federation and content created by our partners in the curling community.
 
Colin Grahamslaw, World Curling Secretary General said, “As part of our new strategy of commercial and entrepreneurial growth, we were looking for a new platform that could significantly enhance the viewer experience and open up new markets to help us to generate a consistent income from streaming productions. Following an exhaustive process, we believe that StreamAMG are the right partners to help us drive that experience to new and larger audiences.
 
“This is the first phase of approach to making our content available to the world. This new platform gives us the opportunity to grow our streaming offering and make it the ultimate location for curling coverage.”
 
Hugo Sharman, CEO at StreamAMG said, “Curling is a sport that is growing in popularity all over the world and not just in its traditional regions. We are honoured to be awarded the opportunity to be part of the sport’s efforts to grow and to form part of its new commercial direction.”
 
Streaming from the World Junior Curling Championships 2024, beginning on Saturday 17 February will be the first full event published through the new Curling Channel.

by Abhishek Shukla

Condition of Bobsledder Sandro Michel Stable After Surgery Post Altenberg Training Incident

Altenberg, Germany – Swiss bobsledder Sandro Michel’s condition has been declared stable following emergency surgery at the University Hospital Dresden, after a severe crash during the official World Cup bobsleigh training in Altenberg on February 13, 2024.

The accident occurred when the four-man bobsleigh, piloted by Michael Vogt, lost control and crashed. Michel, serving as the brakeman, was ejected from the sled and tragically run over as the bobsleigh slid uncontrollably back from the finish area. Michel sustained significant injuries to his hip and thigh, necessitating urgent surgical intervention. Additionally, chest injuries were reported, with further examinations planned to assess their extent.

Pilot Michael Vogt suffered a severe concussion and bruises in the incident, while pushers Dominik Hufschmid and Andreas Haas also received minor injuries. The Swiss team, deeply affected by the accident, is being closely monitored and supported by Swiss Sliding, the national governing body for the sport.

Swiss Sliding expressed its profound concern and extended wishes for a quick and complete recovery to all injured athletes. The federation has given the discretion to other Swiss teams at Altenberg to decide their participation in the remaining training sessions and the weekend’s races.

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) and Swiss Sliding are in close communication, both prioritizing the welfare of the athletes. An investigation into the cause of the crash at the Altenberg bobsled track is underway to prevent such incidents in the future.

The training in Altenberg is set to continue, and the World Cup races will proceed as scheduled, despite the shadow cast by this unfortunate event. The bobsleigh community stands together in hoping for the swift recovery of Sandro Michel and his teammates, reminding everyone of the inherent risks and bravery involved in this high-speed sport.

by Abhishek Shukla

Luge elite starts again in Thuringia, second of three Sprint World Cups on  Sunday

Oberhof (FIL) After the World Cup is before the World Cup. This weekend, from  February 16 to 18, 2024, the world’s top luge athletes will once again be hunting for  points in the Oberhof ice track at the 7th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup. A total  of 90 sleds from 19 nations will compete in the second World Cup in Oberhof. A total  of 122 athletes have registered, including 29 women’s and 29 men’s singles as well  as 11 women’s and 21 men’s doubles. In addition to the World Cup races, the second  Sprint World Cup of the season will be held on Sunday. The qualification process  takes place during the World Cup race. The top 15 lugers are also eligible to compete  in the sprint on Sunday. 

Three Sprint World Cups are on the program this season. At the season opener on  the selective Olympic track in Lake Placid, Julia Taubitz and Max Langenhan (both  GER) triumphed in the singles as well as Selina Egle and Lara Kipp (AUT) and  Latvians Martins Bots and Robert Plume in the doubles. They lead the corresponding  Sprint World Cup rankings. None of last year’s winners managed to defend their titles  in the sprint competitions at the 52nd FIL Luge World Championships in Altenberg (GER). However, this was largely due to retirements and external conditions, as the  ice had suffered greatly in plus seven degrees and sometimes heavy rain. While Julia  Taubitz (GER) took the second sprint title of her career in the women’s singles,  Austria’s David Gleirscher triumphed in the men’s event. Latvian Martins Bots, who  together with his partner Roberts Plume were the fastest men’s doubles, spoke of  luck with the starting number. In the women’s doubles, the Italians Andrea Vötter and  Marion Oberhofer came out on top. 

Taubitz, Langenhan, Degenhardt/Rosenthal and Steu/Kindl lead the  overall World Cup standings. 

After seven of twelve World Cup races, a look at the overall standings shows that the  action remains exciting. Julia Taubitz is the only woman to have stood on the podium  at all World Cups and leads with 624 points ahead of Madeleine Egle (AUT, 542  points) and team-mate Anna Berreiter (417 points). In the men’s event, Max  Langenhan is aiming for his first victory in the overall World Cup. The 24-year-old  from Thuringia is the only one to have finished on the podium in all races, five of

them at the top. He is clearly in the lead with 655 points ahead of Jonas Müller (AUT,  479 points) and Kristers Aparjods (LAT, 470 points). It remains particularly exciting in  the doubles: In the men’s doubles, the Austrians Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl  

extend their lead in the overall World Cup after their victory in Oberhof with 586  points, followed by Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (GER, 475 p.) and Martins Bots/Roberts  Plume (LAT, 470 p.). In the women’s doubles, Germany’s Jessica  Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal took the lead again after their fourth win of the  season and are just ahead of Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer (ITA, 555 points) and  Selina Egle/Lara Kipp (AUT, 484 points) on 565 points. 

Capricious weather in the ice track 

For the second week in a row, the international luge elite had to struggle with  changing weather conditions at last weekend’s World Cup. Despite all the efforts of  the track workers, it became clear in the men’s race on Sunday that it was going to  be a bib poker race in high temperatures and that those starting later would be at a  considerable disadvantage. As a result, some of the top athletes even deliberately  slowed down their first run to secure an earlier starting place for the second run. This  tactic did not always work and caused a lot of discussion off the ice channel. 

„When the weather is like today, it’s never really fair. In terms of the regulations, we  actually had the opportunity to make changes. If we had changed it in the first run of  the men’s race so that the best athletes started at the beginning, it would have meant  that they would have started at the very end in the second run. We saw scenes that  weren’t so nice because some athletes slowed down. If they had raced right at the  start, it would have been even worse because they would still have raced at the end  in the second run,“ FIL Sports Director Matthias Böhmer explained in an TV interview  with German ARD. „In principle, I’m against juggling with the rules, because with an  offside rule in soccer, you don’t decide one way this week and another the next. We  have various authorities in the international federation, and dealing with such weather  conditions is definitely an issue that we will discuss in the relevant commissions after  the season.“

Quotes: 

Max Langenhan (GER): „I really didn’t think I’d make it onto the podium in the  second run in Oberhof. We also slowed down a bit in the first run and it still wasn’t  enough. We were victims of the weather on our home track today, but that’s just the  way it is. I still think it’s great that Kristers won. I think he really, really deserved it. Of  course, it’s not fair to slow yourself down, even if you could always claim that the sled  broke out or the ice was slippery. I think we need to think about changing the starting  order in the future so that all the top athletes are together. It’s a bit of a shame for the  sport, but in the end it’s always the same people at the top. It’s not as if one of the  smaller nations won here today. As far as the overall World Cup is concerned,  nothing is certain. You can get injured in training or have a bad race, but I have a  small buffer. There are still plenty of races to come, a lot can happen, and the lead  isn’t that big.“ (Source: ARD) 

Felix Loch (GER): „It was more poker than luge today. I don’t often criticize, but  today they really should have thought about letting the seeded athletes go first in the  first run. That’s the general demand from us top athletes. I think it’s a bit ridiculous if 

you have to slow down in the first run in order to have a good starting number in the  second run. We wanted to get to the bottom as quickly as possible here and not to  place after the first run. It’s obviously annoying, also for the spectators, but it’s great  that Max still came in at the front. I’m definitely happy with seventh place under the  circumstances. The FIL should think about how to improve this. That would be  

relatively easy, and the regulations would even allow the seeded riders to ride away  at the front in really, really bad weather conditions. That could have been done today.  We saw it last week in Altenberg, next week it looks like that again – so I hope they  learn something and react to it. As far as Max is concerned, I assume that he will  continue to ride at the front in the future. We have another race here next week and  the sprint, so there are another 200 points up for grabs. Max will score a lot of points  there and then he should bring it home in Sigulda. After all, he showed last year that  he’s good on the track. I would be really happy if he won the overall World Cup this  year, he would have more than earned it after this season.“ (Source: ARD) 

Kristers Aparjods (LAT): „That’s fine with me. I’m an outdoor athlete and the  conditions change. You can’t change that. There are such and such races. I will cope  with the rules. I don’t make the rules. Last Sunday at the World Cup in Oberhof, I  didn’t expect to be so fast in the second run. The win is nice and I’m very happy. I  didn’t slow down either. And things will be different again another time. That’s the  sport.“ 

David Gleirscher (AUT): „I’m totally happy with the result. Finishing on the podium in  a race like this also requires a bit of luck. The conditions were very questionable, I  think it’s about time the international federation came up with some solutions for the  future, so that maybe the first run could be organized a little differently. I was a bit too  slow in the relay, we tried a few things with the equipment, but it didn’t work out so  well. Nevertheless, we are very happy with third place.“ 

Jessica Degenhardt (GER): „These are really tears of joy today, pure relief. The last  three weeks in Altenberg weren’t easy for us and we tried to fight our way back here.  It’s a huge relief that it turned out like this. We doubted ourselves in Altenberg with  that stupid turn nine. Today everything went great again in the second run and we  also managed to find ourselves a bit.“ 

Norbert Loch, Head Coach Germany: „Of course it’s great for us to be able to race  in front of a crowd like this here in Oberhof. That’s why it’s even more important that 

we have our German World Cups. It’s also always an event here for the international  federation and for all the athletes, and that simply makes luge more fun. Apart from  that, the weather meant that a certain amount of tactics was required, especially in  the men’s event. It was clearly a start-number-race in this large field. Well, in the end  

there are always those at the front who are also at the front in the World Cup. We got  off lucky with Max’s 2nd place. With a little more luck, we could have done better.  Speaking of luck: we certainly had it in the team relay. The Latvians made a mistake  in the straight away, which probably tipped the scales. It was a great performance by  our team, who showed that they can do it. “ 

Christian Eigentler, Head Coach Austria: „We set ourselves the goal of podium  places in all disciplines this weekend and achieved this goal again, which is not a  matter of course given the circumstances and makes us absolutely happy. We hadn’t  originally planned to do this, but due to the progress of the men’s race we were  almost forced to take a tactical approach. A circumstance that neither our athletes  nor the coaching team approved of. On the other hand, we had no other choice if we  wanted to keep up with the music. We must not forget that we are practicing an  outdoor sport. If something really needs to change in the regulations, we all need to  think about solutions. There is a lot of discussion, which is positive as a general  principle, but concrete ideas are needed. We need to work on this together.“ 

Schedule & TV coverage 

7. EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup, Oberhof 2 (GER) 

Local start time (=CET/MEZ) 

Friday, February 16, 2024 

09:00 Uhr Nations Cup 

14:30 Uhr Training seeded group 

Saturday, 17. February 2024 

09:15 Men’s Doubles, 1st run 

10:03 Women’s Doubles, 1st run 

11:00 Men’s Doubles, 2nd run  

11:51 Women’s Doubles, 2nd run  

13:15 Men’s Singles, 1st run  

14:48 Men’s Singles, 2nd run

Sunday, February 18, 2024 

09:30 Women’s Singles, 1st run 

10:55 Women’s Singles, 2nd run 

12:30 Sprint Men’s Singles 

13:20 Sprint Men’s Doubles 

13:50 Sprint Women’s Doubles 

14:35 Sprint Women’s Singles 

Subject to change without notice! 

Live TV-Broadcast: fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/eberspaecher-world-cup-29 

by Abhishek Shukla

World Junior Curling Championships to begin in Lohja, Finland

Lohja, Finland – The World Junior Curling Championships 2024 will be held in Lohja, Finland, from 17 to 24 February. This will be the 49th edition of the championship on the men’s side and the 36th edition for the women. Ten men’s and ten women’s teams representing their national Member Associations will compete.

Men’s competition

The men’s field consists of: Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland and United States.

The reigning champions, China, bring a new team to the world stage, skipped Tao Liqiu Nan.

Germany, skipped by Benjamin Kapp, won silver at the last two editions of the event. This year, they aim to climb one step higher on the podium.

Scotland took bronze last year and with one change in their line-up, they target the podium in Lohja as well. Two of their team members, Logan Carson and Archie Hyslop, took gold medals in the mixed competition at the recently concluded Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Korea.

Another Youth Olympic champion will also compete in the men’s competition in the Kisakallio Sports Institute. Norway’s skip Lukas Hoestmaelingen won Youth Olympic gold in the mixed team event in Lausanne in 2020.

Denmark’s Jacob Schmidt and Nikki Jensen participated in this year’s Youth Olympics in Korea as well. Both took silver in the mixed team event, whereas Schmidt added another silver to his collection in the mixed doubles competition.

Canada, United States, Denmark and New Zealand secured their places at the world championship by reaching the semi-finals at the World Junior-B Championships in December 2023.

Women’s competition

The participating teams in the women’s field are: Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and Türkiye.

Scotland women are the reigning world champions. Four of their team members were in their line-up last year as well. Their skip, Robyn Munro is a World Mixed Championship silver medallist from 2022.

Japan took silver last year and were crowned world champions in 2022. Two of their team members — Ueno Yui and Miura Yuina — were members of both former podium-finisher teams.

All four members of Norway’s team were part of last year’s bronze medal-winning squad. Their third player Nora Oestgaard and second thrower Ingeborg Forbregd are Youth Olympic champions from 2020 in the mixed team competition.

China, Canada, Germany and Türkiye women have all secured their spot at this event by reaching the semi-finals at the World Junior-B Curling Championships 2023 last December.

Schedule

Round-robin play starts on Saturday 17 February and continues until Thursday 22 February. The top four teams in the round-robin rankings qualify for the semi-finals in both genders.

All semi-finals will take place on Friday 23 February. The women’s semi-final games will start at 14:00 and are followed by the men’s semi-finals at 19:00.

In both genders one semi-final will be played between the first-ranked and the fourth-ranked teams, while the other semi-final will feature the second- and third-ranked teams.

The winners of the semi-finals will play for gold medals and the world title, the losers will play for bronze.

The women’s medal games will take place on Saturday 24 February at 10:00. The men will play for the medals at 15:00 on the same day.

World Curling TV will be streaming all games. Information about the streaming will be available soon.

Click here for the playing schedule.

All times are EET (Eastern European Time) which is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) +2 hours.

by Abhishek Shukla

Preview 6th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup Oberhof (GER):  FIL luge elite on the hunt for points in Thuringia 

Oberhof (FIL) After three weeks in Altenberg, Saxony, the international luge teams  have moved on to Thuringia. The 6th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup will be held  in the LOTTO Thüringen EISARENA from February 9 to 11, 2024. A total of 98 sleds  from 18 nations have registered for the World Cup, with 32 women’s and 33 men’s  singles and 13 women’s and 20 men’s doubles.  

In addition to the World Cup races, the fifth of six team relays as part of the  EBERSPÄCHER Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW is scheduled for  Sunday. 

It will be a reunion for the Thuringian luge fans with their local World Championship  heroes, first and foremost Max Langenhan, World Champion in the singles and with  the team as well as Vice World Champion in the sprint, and Julia Taubitz, Sprint and  Team World Champion as well as Vice World Champion in Altenberg. Both put in an  

incredible race to catch up in the Altenberg ice track at the last World Cup race: In  difficult weather and resulting ice conditions, both raced from 22nd and 21st place  respectively in the first run to victory. 

The 24-year-old Max Langenhan grew up in Friedrichroda, 30km from Oberhof, and  has won five of the six World Cup races so far, adding a total of 13 World Cup  victories to his account. He leads the overall World Cup with 570 points ahead of the  two Austrians Jonas Müller (419 points) and Vice World Champion Nico Gleirscher  (372 points).  

Julia Taubitz was born in Saxony and started her luge career in Altenberg but has  lived and trained in Oberhof for many years. Like her team-mate Max, she has made  it onto the podium at all six World Cups so far this season, three of them at the top.  This weekend, she could clinch the 25th World Cup victory of her career. With 555  points, she leads the overall World Cup standings ahead of World Championship  bronze medallist Madeleine Egle (457 points) and team-mate Anna Berreiter (357  points). 

Things remain really exciting in the men’s and women’s doubles. The Sprint World  Champions Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer from Italy have moved to the top of the  overall standings after their victory in Altenberg and are currently on 470 points, just  ahead of the two German doubles Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal (465 

points) and Dajana Eitberger/Saskia Schirmer (416 points). ) In the men’s doubles,  the Vice World Champions Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl (AUT) have one win and  four second places to reach 486 points, putting them ahead of the Sprint World  

Champions Martins Bots/Roberts Plume (LAT, 410 p.) and the Team World  Champions and World Championship bronze medalists Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt  (GER, 409 p.). 

An overview of the overall World Cup standings and the individual disciplines can be  found here: fil-luge.org/en/overall-scores?event_season_id=31 

Press conference on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 

In the run-up to the 6th EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup in Oberhof, the  Thuringian Luge and Bobsleigh Federation invites you to a press conference, which  will take place on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 1:30 pm in the Haus des Gastes  (Crawinkler Straße 2, in 98559 Oberhof). Besides reigning World Champion Max  Langenhan, World Championship fifth-placed Merle Fräbel, Andi Langenhan,  national base coach, as well as technical coach and Oberhof head mechanic Robert  Eschrich will take part. In addition to an assessment of the sporting results over the  past few weeks and a look ahead to the home race in Oberhof, the press conference  will also focus on the influence of the equipment and technical performance on the  athletes’ success.  

A live stream is planned for all media representatives who cannot be there in person. Here comes the link: Livestream: Pressekonferenz vor dem Rodel-Weltcup in  Oberhof | MDR.DE 

Quotes: 

Emanuel Rieder (ITA): „We were delighted with third place in Altenberg. It was  revenge for the messed-up World Championships and a conciliatory end to the three  weeks in Altenberg for us. After that we went home for a short time before we start  again in Oberhof. We really like the track, it’s one of our favorite tracks and we really  enjoy racing there. “

Andrea Vötter (ITA): „ It’s unbelievable. We’ve barely been in Altenberg for three  weeks when we finally understand the track and can luge fast here. We’re really  

happy about our first World Cup win this season and that we’re now heading to a new  track, to Oberhof.” 

Marion Oberhofer (ITA): „We went home for two days after the World Cup in  Altenberg, and we’ll now attack again in Oberhof with renewed energy. We are  looking forward to the last four World Cups. It’s great to have now also taken the lead  in the overall World Cup. Freshly recovered and highly motivated, we will now tackle  the World Cups in Oberhof and Sigulda and hope to maintain our lead. “ 

Julia Taubitz (GER): „I didn’t expect to go from 22nd to first place. After the first run,  the plan was to be in a good midfield position. It was a weather race today – of course  a win is nice, but you’re not as happy about it as if it had been perfect weather. I’m  really looking forward to the next two World Cups in Oberhof because I can stay in  my own apartment. That’s something different from hotel life. I’m looking forward to  the track and hope for good weather and lots of spectators. “ 

Dajana Eitberger (GER): „We worked really well on turn 9 in the third week in  Altenberg and also saw in the men’s doubles’ race that we had to keep the focus on  this passage. We did a good job of that. We can’t explain why we didn’t make it to the  front in the second run. We had a very good race and were happy about it. The next World Cups in Oberhof and Sigulda are two tracks where we still face some  challenges. We narrowly missed our goal in Oberhof during the training week, which  was to get two safe runs down at the start of the race. We’ll have to work on the  starting height again in the training runs, but we’re taking the momentum from  Altenberg with us and are very confident about the races. The same applies to  Sigulda, where we haven’t had such an easy time so far. However, with the  experience we have already gained, I can well imagine that we will also find our way  around the track there.“ 

Max Langenhan (GER): „I was just lucky at the last World Cup race in Altenberg.  Normally such mistakes deserve a defeat. The fact that the track deteriorates so  much in this weather is something you wouldn’t wish on any other athlete – I feel  sorry for them too. It’s an outdoor sport after all, as we saw last week at the World  Sprint Championships, where it was similar. I was just lucky with the start number in  the second run. “

Juri Gatt (AUT): „Last weekend was exciting with the weather, especially because  the track slowed down a lot. But the World Championship week just gave us so much  confidence that we could go into the race relaxed because we knew we had what it  

takes. It’s cool when you can prove that again and we were able to repeat our World  Championship success in the World Cup. “ 

Christian Eigentler, Head Coach Austria: „It was an incredibly difficult weekend in  Altenberg, where we pretty much made the best of the situation. Weather is always  an issue in outdoor sports, but if the track degrades so quickly, it would be in  everyone’s interest to work out solutions for the future. I can’t blame my team at all,  we worked overtime in the sledging room and performed well, but in some cases we  simply didn’t stand a chance. Even if we had remained completely faultless in the  final relay, we wouldn’t have won today. That’s why we’re all the happier with the  double victory in the doubles and the two podium places in the singles. “ 

Schedule & TV coverage 

6. EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup, Oberhof (GER) 

Local start time (CET/MEZ) 

Friday, February 09, 2024 

09:00 Nations Cup 

14:30 Training seeded group. 

Saturday, February 10, 2024 

09:30 Men’s Doubles, 1st run 

10:18 Women’s Doubles, 1st run 

11:15 Men’s Doubles, 2nd run  

12:07 Women’s Doubles, 2nd run  

13:05 Women’s Singles, 1st run 

14:30 Women’s Singles, 2nd run 

Sunday, February 11, 2024 

10:00 Men’s Singles, 1st run  

11:30 Men’s Singles, 2nd run  

13:30 Team Relay 

Subject to change without notice!

by Abhishek Shukla

Preview 5th FIL EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup: Second half of the World Cup season starts after the World Championships

Altenberg (FIL) After the 52nd FIL Luge World Championships is before the EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup. The team led by OC head Jens Morgenstern  welcomes the luge elite once again to the 5th EBERSPAECHER World Cup this  weekend on the SachsenEnergie Eiskanal in Altenberg. From February 2 to 4, 2024,  World Cup points will be at stake on the challenging artificial ice track in Altenberg’s  Kohlgrund.  

95 sleds from 18 nations will compete in Altenberg. There are 29 women’s and 32  men’s singles as well as 13 women’s and 21 men’s doubles. 

In addition to the World Cup races, the fourth of six team relays as part of the  EBERSPAECHER Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW is on the agenda on  Sunday. 

„Having an EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup directly after the World  Championships is not a problem for us from an organizational point of view, because  the infrastructure is in place and we can build on it,“ Jens Morgenstern, Head of OC  and Managing Director of Wintersport Altenberg (Osterzgebirge) GmbH, explains.  „Two years ago, we were in a situation where we first organized a Bobsleigh &  Skeleton World Cup, then the Luge World Cup and then another Bobsleigh &  Skeleton World Cup the week after. That was awful, and we as well as the  international federations have learned from it. We have a team of around 150 people,  including many volunteers who have been supporting us at the events for many  years. Whether it’s the World Championships or the World Cup – it makes no  difference to the motivation and commitment of our volunteers, and I’m very grateful  for that.“ Together with his team, he has organized three World Championships in the  last five years. 

In order to gain some distance after two weeks in Altenberg, many teams used the  two training-free days for excursions. Some explored the Saxon capital of Dresden,  while others such as Team Ukraine, Sweden, Argentina, Italy, USA and some  Austrians spent their free time in the Czech capital of Prague.

 

Austria most successful World Championship nation 

More than 160 athletes from 21 nations competed at the 52nd FIL Luge World  Championships in Altenberg. Nine World Championship titles were awarded, as well  as four U23 World Championship titles. Six nations won precious metal at the World  Championships. The most successful nation was Austria with four gold, three silver  and two bronze medals, their best ever World Championship result. The German  team won a total of seven World Championship medals: three gold, two silver and  two bronze. Latvia and Italy each won another World Championship title. Athletes  from the USA also won one silver and one bronze medal and Switzerland won a  silver medal in the Women’s Sprint with Natalie Maag. 

In the U23 classification, most of the medals went to Germany – two out of four  possible World Championship titles and one bronze medal were won by Norbert  Loch’s team. He was responsible for the luge world championships as German head  coach the last time. 

Taubitz, Langenhan, Degenhardt/Rosenthal and Steu/Kindl lead the overall  World Cup standings 

The upcoming races mark the halfway point in this year’s FIL EBERSPÄCHER Luge  World Cup. After the races in Altenberg, there are still two World Cups in Oberhof  (GER) and Sigulda (LAT) each on the season calendar. The World Cup races so far,  as well as the World Championships, have shown that the international world elite  has moved closer together and that the season remains exciting. After five of twelve  World Cup races in the World Championship winter, it is worth taking a look at the  overall World Cup standings. Julia Taubitz, Max Langenhan and the women’s  doubles Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal (all Germany) as well as the  doubles Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl are currently leading the World Cup standings. 

Julia Taubitz, sprint and team World Champion and Vice World Champion in singles  2024, is the most consistent female luge athlete in singles in this World Cup season,  with two victories and three second places. After the successful home World  Championships, the 27-year-old from Saxony is concentrating on winning her third  overall World Cup in a row. Team-mate Max Langenhan, World Champion in men’s  singles and with the team as well as Vice World Champion in the sprint, is this  season’s top performer and is aiming for his first overall World Cup victory. The 24- year-old from Thuringia is the only one who has finished on the podium in all races,  four of them at the top. The men’s doubles are particularly exciting, with five different winners in five World Cup races. In addition to World Championship bronze medalists Wendl/Arlt, who have finished on the podium four times so far, Vice World  Champions Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl (AUT) have also impressed with one World  Cup victory and three second places. After the disappointing World Championships,  Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER) want to show that they can do  better in the World Cup on Jessica’s home track. They have won the last three World  Cups, each time ahead of sprint World Champion Andrea Voetter/Marion Oberhofer  (ITA). 

World Cup standings short: 

Women’s Singles: 

1) Julia Taubitz (GER), 455 

2) Madeleine Egle (AUT), 415 

3) Ashley Farquharson (USA), 301 

Men’s Singles: 

1) Max Langenhan (GER), 470 

2) Jonas Mueller (AUT), 380 

3) Nico Gleirscher (AUT), 331 

Women’s Doubles: 

1) Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER), 410  

2) Andrea Voetter/Marion Oberhofer (ITA), 370 

3) Selina Egle/Lara Kipp (AUT), 364 

Men’s Doubles: 

1) Thomas Steu/ Wolfgang Kindl (AUT), 401 

2) Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (GER), 380 

3) Martins Bots/Roberts Plume (LAT), 350 

Team-Relay 

1) Team Germany, 285 

2) Team Austria, 270 

3) Team USA, 200

 

 

Quotes: 

Andrea Vötter (ITA): „We went to Prague for a day after the World Championships  to come down and refocus. When you see that we now have still so many World  Cups but only three tracks left, it’s honestly pretty boring. It’s a shame because there  are so many tracks that aren’t used for the World Cup. Of course, the double World  Cups in Oberhof and Sigulda theoretically eliminate the hassle of traveling, but many  nations still go home in between, when it is not so far away. You can’t speak of a real  World Cup calendar. If you look at the IBSF calendar for bobsleigh and skeleton, who  are using tracks all over the world this year, it’s a real shame that we don’t have that.  The first two weeks in Altenberg with the ITW and World Championships went by  pretty quickly, but after the World Championships we were exhausted for a short  while and it’s more difficult to get motivated for the next World Cup.“ 

Natalie Maag (SUI): „Silver medal in the sprint at the World Championships. It’s  unbelievable and is only slowly sinking in. It was a tough week for me at the World  Championships. I knew I could race fast here, as I would have won with my time at  the German Championships in December. Last week was really tough with the  weather and I almost crashed in the sprint qualifying. That’s why I thought I’d just go  for it and take the run for Sunday. Ending up with a medal is just mega. The race  calendar after the World Championships is rather boring for us, but for me there are  only cool tracks left. I’m looking forward to it. I was in Oberhof after the ITW until the  World Championships to briefly escape. After the World Championships I went to Prague with the Austrians. That won’t give rise to cabin fever. Two weeks in Oberhof  is good for me, as I have my own room there, and I’m really looking forward to it.“

 

Kristers Aparjods (LAT): „In my head I’m always going for gold, but sometimes it  doesn’t go the way I want it to. I had a pretty good run in the World Championship  sprint despite some minor mistakes in the upper part of the track, but that’s the sport  of luge. You have to be very stable, consistent and clean in every run to get a perfect  run and be at the top. It wasn’t a perfect run in the team relay, but I’m happy with the  

third place and the World Championship medal. Altenberg and I have a special  relationship. I competed in one of my first World Cup races here. I love this track. It’s  long, difficult and you have to stay focused in every turn and yet relaxed all the way  to the finish line. The weather at the World Championships wasn’t so good, but I’m  looking forward to the World Cup and hope to finish on the podium again.“ 

Zane Kaluma (LAT): „The World Championships were great for us. We’re a  completely new team, we’ve only been competing together since December. It’s just  crazy. Now we’re here and we’ve won two World Championship silver medals in  doubles! However, we won’t take part in the World Cup in Altenberg because I’m  going to the Junior World Championships in Lillehammer (NOR) to compete there in  the singles. That means Anda now has three weeks off, because we won’t be  competing again until the home World Cup in Sigulda.“ 

David Gleirscher (AUT): „I seem to be the man for the big races. My team-mates  told me in the lead-up to the World Championships that things weren’t going so well  for me in the World Cup, but that I would be back at the World Championships. It  worked out really well in the sprint. I really like the track in Altenberg, I was  celebrating my first and so far only World Cup victory here. I always feel extremely  comfortable here on the sled. Three weeks in Altenberg is quite a long time on the  same track, but generally I wouldn’t mind doing another race here.“ 

Thomas Steu (AUT): „Losing to a team-mate hurts less. It hardly hurts at all. I  always get a bit upset when I make mistakes which don’t happen in training. But  that’s competitive sport. We’ve won silver at the World Championships twice, and  when team-mates win, it’s just awesome. We went home after the World  Championships and are now motivated for the weekend – after all, the overall World  Cup is at stake for us.“ 

Wolfgang Kindl (AUT): „My foot is feeling better, I was able to block out the pain  quite well in the doubles race. We could have done better, but the lower part of the  second run was very uneven, which hurts a bit, but a double victory for Austria in 

 

Altenberg on a German track – that’s brilliant. It’s of course a bit of a shame that the  World Cup is almost only held on German tracks and is less international. We’ll take  it as it is. Oberhof is a track on which we can perform well, we’ll see about Sigulda,  but we’ve got our sled set-up so well under control that we’ll manage it this time. We  are currently leading the overall World Cup and that is obviously our next goal.“ 

Sam Edney, High Performance Director Luge Canada: „We are competing in the  World Cup with a very young team and have decided to skip the World Cup in  Altenberg. We’re going to Oberhof instead to complete a few more training runs  there. Some of my athletes don’t even know the Oberhof track yet, so it’s important  for us to gain experience there in an unhurried manner and gain competition  hardness for the two World Cups in Oberhof. We will then take part in the first World  Cup in Sigulda before flying back to Canada.“ 

Lubomir Mick, Head coach Team USA: „The World Championships were a success  for us. We are very happy about the medals in the team relay, the women’s doubles  and the two doubles competitions at the U23 World Championships. Being in  Altenberg for three weeks is quite a long time, but we are looking forward to the  World Cup because this track is always good for surprises. As we saw at the World  Championships, the track is very demanding. While some coaches went home for a  short time, we sent our athletes to Prague on the two days off so that they could clear  their heads and start the next few weeks with renewed energy.“ 

Schedule & TV coverage 

  1. EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup, Altenberg (GER) 

Local start time (CET/MEZ) 

Friday, February 02, 2024 

09:00 Nations Cup 

14:30 Training seeded group 

Saturday, February 03, 2024 

08:40 Men’s Doubles, 1st run 

09:55 Men’s Doubles, 2nd run 

11:15 Men’s Singles, 1st run  

12:55 Men’s Singles, 2nd run 

14:30 Women’s Doubles, 1st run 

15:30 Women’s Doubles, 2nd run  

Sunday, February 04, 2024 

08:25 Uhr Women’s Singles, 1st run 

09:50 Uhr Women’s Singles, 2nd run 

12:00 Uhr Team Relay 

Subject to change without notice! 

Live TV-Broadcast: fil-luge.org/de/ergebnisse/eberspaecher-weltcup-31

by Abhishek Shukla

Ireland sends first luge athlete to Youth Olympic Games 

Gangwon (FIL) Lily Cooke will make history at Gangwon 2024 as Ireland’s first athlete to compete in luge at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. 

16 years old Cooke was inspired after seeing Elsa Desmond make Ireland’s Olympic luge debut at Beijing 2022. 

“When I saw Ireland competing in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, I decided I wanted to try luge,” explained Cooke. 

Now, heading into the first Youth Olympic Games to be staged in Asia, Cooke has formed a unique bond with Desmond, who is now her coach. 

“I am very grateful to have made it to YOG thanks to my coach,” said Cooke. “I’m so excited to have this amazing experience in Korea with all the other amazing athletes.”

‘Doctor Luge’ scoring again for Ireland

Desmond stole hearts and minds at Beijing 2022 thanks to her incredible personal journey, chasing her dream of becoming an Olympic athlete in luge – the fastest sport on ice – at the relatively late age of 18, while also pursuing her career dreams in medicine. 

When she lined up at the Olympic Games, she was competing against many luge athletes in Europe who started learning this physically and mentally demanding sport from as young as six years old. 

Now, Desmond is doing everything possible for young luge athletes from Ireland with the same dreams. 

“I am so proud of Lily for all her hard work,” said Desmond. “Qualifying for YOG was not easy, but she worked hard and it all paid off. “This is a huge achievement for her and for Ireland.”

‘More than a coach’ 

Desmond will be supporting Cooke all the way at Gangwon 2024, as her travelling coach and much more. 

“Elsa Desmond is my sports idol, as well as my coach, teammate and friend,” concluded Cooke. “She helps me overcome every challenge, both on and off the ice.”

Irish flair at Gangwon 2024

Cooke will join a total of 102 luge athletes from 26 nations at Gangwon 2024 competing at the Alpensia Sliding Center in Pyeongchang – venue of the 2018 Winter Olympics – in Men’s and Women’s Single, Men’s and Women’s Double and Team Relay events from 20-23 January. 

“We can’t wait to see our first Irish athlete compete at the Youth Olympic Games,” said Nancy Chillingworth, Chef de Mission from Ireland’s National Olympic Committee. “These are exciting times for luge – with so many new nations competing at Gangwon 2024, and now the big potential of at least two Irish luge athletes at Milano-Cortina 2026!” 

by Abhishek Shukla

World Curling and Central FX agree multi-year foreign exchange partnership

Perth, Scotland – World Curling are delighted to announce a multi-year partnership agreement with London based financial services company, Central FX.
 
The agreement will see Central FX become the official Foreign Exchange Partner of World Curling, assisting the federation in managing its currency risk and international payments.
 
Alan Chalmers, World Curling Head of Finance said, “As a multi-national organisation, World Curling requires regular and reliable foreign exchange services. Partnering with Central FX will allow us to use their expertise and bring a consistent approach to our business operations on a global level. We are delighted to have Central FX join our suite of partners and I’m looking forward to working closely with them.”
 
Adam Stark, Central FX Director said, “With World Curling’s ambitious plans to grow the sport across the globe we are very excited to be part of this journey. We look forward to working with the team as well as their partners, clients, and other associations in the sport to help manage their currency risks.”
 
Learn more about the services provided by Central FX at https://centralfx.co.uk

by Abhishek Shukla

Winter Youth Olympic Games to kick off in Gangwon, Korea

Gangwon, Korea – In total, 106 young curlers will represent their National Olympic Committee at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Korea from Friday 19 January until Thursday 1 February 2024.

All curling action will take place in the Gangneung Curling Centre, the venue from the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. 

Since the Games, the facility has continued its legacy by hosting several international competitions, including the Pacific-Asia Curling Championships 2018 and the World Mixed Doubles Championship 2023. This will be the fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games, and the first one taking place outside of Europe.

The Games will begin with the four-player mixed team competition, running from 20 – 25 January. The second half of the event will feature the mixed doubles, which will be from 26 January – 1 February. 

At previous Youth Olympics, the mixed doubles teams were created at the end of the mixed competition by combining players from different nations, based on their teams’ ranking in the mixed team event.

This year, for the first time, the mixed doubles team members represent the same National Olympic Committee, just as in the mixed team event, allowing each National Olympic Committee to send two additional athletes.

Mixed team competition
Games will begin at 10.00 on Saturday 20 January. The 16 participating teams will play a round robin in two groups that runs until the afternoon of Wednesday 24 January. 

On the same day at 19.00, qualification games will take place. The semi-finals will be held at 9.00 on Thursday 25 January. They are followed by the bronze medal game and the gold medal final on the same day, at 14.30 and 18.00, respectively. 

Group A teams: China, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, Türkiye, United States
Group B teams: Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Korea, Switzerland

Mixed doubles competition
The competition will feature 24 teams divided into four groups. The round-robin stage will start at 18.00 on Friday 26 January and conclude in the afternoon of Wednesday 31 January. On the same day the quarter-finals will take place at 19.00. 

The semi-finals are scheduled for 9.00 on Thursday 1 February. The bronze medal game will be held at 13.00 on the same day, followed by the final at 16.00.

Group A teams: Canada, Czechia, Great Britain, Hungary, Korea, Nigeria
Group B teams: Norway, Qatar, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, United States
Group C teams: Brazil, China, Japan, Latvia, New Zealand, Türkiye
Group D teams: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Switzerland

All times are KST (Korea Standard Time) which is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) +9 hours.

Click here for the full schedule of the Games.

Get to know some Youth Olympic curlers
Great Britain’s mixed team members, Logan Carson and Archie Hyslop won world junior bronze medals in 2023, representing Scotland.

The female player of the Czech mixed doubles team, Julie Zelingrova has represented Czechia twice at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, in 2022 and 2023.

The female player of the German mixed doubles team, Joy Sutor participated in the World Mixed Curling Championship 2022 with two of her siblings, finishing fifth. 

She also took silver medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival 2023 along with Angrick Leonhard, who will be her mixed doubles teammate in Gangwon. A third member of that silver medallist team, Lukas Jaeger will now play in the German mixed team.

Latvia’s mixed doubles team, Agate Regza and Kristaps Zass took bronze medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival 2023 in the mixed team event.

The youngest player is 14-year-old Norway’s Melina Nathalie Troean, who will play lead in the team event. 

The oldest player of the competition is Italy skip Andrea Gilli, who turned 18 earlier in January 2024.

by Abhishek Shukla

Gangwon 2024 – First Youth Olympic Winter Games in Asia

Gangwon 2024 – 3 days to go! 

Gangwon (FIL/16 Jan 2024) We’re three days to go until the opening ceremony of Gangwon 2024, the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Asia! 

A total of 102 female and male athletes from 26 nations and four continents will tackle the exhilarating 1,376 metre luge track at the Olympic Sliding Center in Pyeongchang – venue of the 2018 Winter Olympics – in Men’s and Women’s Single, Men’s and Women’s Double and Team Relay events from January 20 to 23, 2024. 

Childhood dreams 

Competing at the Youth Olympic Games is a dream come true for all the athletes competing at YOG 2024 – for some, this dream goes back to early childhood.

Maggie Dowling, now 17, was just three years old when she got the luge bug, watching from the sidelines at her home track in Naseby on New Zealand’s South Island. She couldn’t wait to get started aged seven and has been throwing down the hammer ever since: “I need the speed and love the rush and adrenaline luge gives me,” she explained. 

Beach to Gangwon 2024 

Luge – the world’s fastest sport on ice – definitely has a special draw, pulling in athletes from brand new nations, including Puerto Rico and Thailand, set to make history by sending their first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) lugers to Gangwon 2024. 

Isabela Aponte, 15, from the easternmost island in the Greater Antilles – famous for beaches, mangroves and rainforests – cannot wait to set foot on the track: 

“This goes really deep in my heart – to have the opportunity to hold my island’s flag high, in a winter sport where we’re rarely represented. 

“Puerto Ricans are typically filled with a happy spirit and joy. We’re not afraid to be ourselves. I am excited to bring all this with me to the Youth Olympic Games.” 

She will be joined by Thailand’s Sunita Chaiyapantho (16) and Thiraphat Sata (17). 

Chaiyapantho transitioned from roller ski to roller luge in Bangkok – then graduated with flying colours from the FIL Luge School, supported by IOC Solidarity, in Lillehammer, Norway. 

“Luge has already given me so many life-changing experiences,” she said. “Now, becoming Thailand’s first female luge athlete at the Youth Olympic Games is all I can think of – I’m doing everything possible to get ready for the Games.” 

Luge at YOG – sport meets education and travel

The Youth Olympic Games, held every four years for young athletes between 14 and 18, are also more than sport – they are an international educational and cultural festival. 

Kaia Hatton, 14, of Team GB – following in the footsteps of her Olympic luger father Mark Hatton – is looking forward to the action as well as the new opportunities the Youth Olympic Games offers: 

“2023 was the first time I travelled internationally to train and compete – now I’m about to go to Asia for the first time in my life. 

“I can’t wait to get to the Youth Olympic Village, I’m excited to meet athletes with so many nationalities!” 

by Abhishek Shukla

World Curling launches brand refresh

Perth, Scotland – The launch of the World Curling rebrand and new website arrives as one of the cornerstone components of the six “Big Ideas” defined by the World Curling Board in January 2023.
 
“The new identity is a modern and dynamic brand for our sport,” said World Curling President, Beau Welling. “We are excited to be showcasing our sport and brand to increasingly younger and more diverse audiences by reaching them through our engaging digital platforms.
 
“The brand identity refresh is about more than just a new logo. It’s an opportunity to redefine our vision for the sport and share our values to the wider world as we continue to develop as a modern and inclusive community.
 
“The brand was developed, in collaboration with our partners, WePlay, to be flexible and allow us to consolidate the number of projects managed by World Curling under one unified brand umbrella. This refresh is a fundamental first step in the exciting journey our organisation and sport is undertaking.”
 
The new World Curling logo is the embodiment of the core aspects of the sport, crafted with the two fundamental elements of curling. The outer circle draws inspiration from the rotation of a stone, while the internal element is designed to emulate the sweeping motion on ice.
 
Together the two elements work to create a sense of forward movement, alluding to the future of World Curling as we continue to foster the development, values and community of our unique sport.
 
The new brand identity launches alongside a modern website and will continue to roll out over the coming months, with the changes to the digital assets and social media channels being updated as a priority.

by Abhishek Shukla

Lochner with start and track record to win 4-man bob World Cup in St. Moritz

St. Moritz (RWH) Start record, track record, 4-man bobsleigh victory and lead in the overall  World Cup extended: The BMW IBSF World Cup in 4-man bobsleigh in St. Moritz (SUI)  could not have gone better for bobsleigh pilot Johannes Lochner (GER).  

At the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz-Celerina, Lochner, Florian Bauer, Erec Bruckert and  Georg Fleischhauer set the best time of the season both at the start (4.98 seconds) and  on the track (1:04.28 minutes). The Olympic silver medallist thus celebrated his third win  of the season in the fifth 4-man bobsleigh World Cup in winter 2023/2024.  

Second place in St. Moritz went to Olympic and World Champion Francesco Friedrich  (GER, 0.10 seconds back) with Thorsten Margis, Candy Bauer and Alexander Schüller.  Third place went to 4-man bobsleigh World Championships silver medallist Emils Cipulis  (LAT) with Davis Springis, Lauris Kaufmanis and Krists Lindenblats (0.40 seconds back).  

The best 4-man bobsleigh team for the World Cup hosts from Switzerland was Michael  Vogt with Andrea Orsinger, Alain Knuser and Sandro Michel in fourth place. Their Swiss  team-mates, the crews of pilots Simon Friedli and Cedric Follador, finished fifth and  seventh respectively.  

In the overall standings for the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024, Johannes Lochner (GER,  1095 points) extended his lead in the overall standings with his victory. Francesco Friedrich  (GER, 1070), defending World Cup champion and overall 4-man bobsleigh winner five  times in a row, is in second place. Ahead of of the final three races of the season, Latvia’s  Emils Cipulis ist third overall with 968 points. 

by Abhishek Shukla

Olympic Champion Laura Nolte wins 2-man bobsleigh World Cup in St. Moritz

St. Moritz (RWH) Olympic Champion Laura Nolte (GER) is the 2-woman bobsleigh winner
at the BMW IBSF World Cup in St. Moritz (SUI). With push athlete Neele Schuten, Nolte
set the season’s best time in the second run at the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz-Celerina
(1:08.00 minutes).

The duo thus relegated their team-mate Lisa Buckwitz (GER, 0.08
seconds behind), who had previously been in the lead, to second place. Lisa Buckwitz’s
push athlete in St. Moritz was Junior World Champion Lauryn Siebert for the first time.
Third place on her home track went to Switzerland’s Melanie Hasler with push athlete Mara
Morell (0.38 seconds back).


Margot Boch from France, the 2021 U23 World Champion, celebrated her best World Cup
result to date in St. Moritz with brakewoman Talia Solitude in fourth place. The top six was
completed by Australia’s Breeana Walker/Kiara Reddingius in fifth place and Kaysha
Love/Azaria Hill (USA) in sixth place.


World Champions Kim Kalicki/Leonie Fiebig (GER) set a start record (5.51 seconds) in the
first race run. However, pilot Kalicki suffered a muscle injury in her thigh and was only able
to take a few steps in the second run. The Kalicki/Fiebig duo finished in seventh place.
Laura Nolte (GER, 650 points) leads the overall standings for the BMW IBSF World Cup
2023/2024 after three of eight races so far. Lisa Buckwitz (GER, 611 points) is second
overall ahead of Kim Kalicki (GER, 588).

by Abhishek Shukla

World Champions Lochner/Fleischhauer win 2-man bob World Cup in St. Moritz

St. Moritz (RWH) The 2-man bobsleigh World Champions Johannes Lochner/Georg  Fleischhauer (GER) are the winners of the fourth BMW IBSF World Cup in winter  2023/2024. At the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz-Celerina, Lochner/Fleischhauer relegated  their German team-mates with Olympic Champion Francesco Friedrich and push athlete  Alexander Schüller (GER, 0.25 seconds behind) to second place. Lochner thus celebrated  his third win of the season in the race series.  Third place in St. Moritz was contested between the Swiss local heroes Michael  Vogt/Sandro Michel and Simon Friedli/Andreas Haas. With the better run time in the second  heat, the Vogt/Michel duo ultimately came out on top and secured the remaining podium  place in third ahead of Friedli/Haas in fourth place. Cédric Follador/Gregory Jones  completed the good result for the Swiss World Cup hosts in seventh place.  In the overall standings for the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024, Johannes Lochner (GER,  885 points) extended his lead at the halfway stage of the World Cup. Francesco Friedrich  (GER, 830) is second overall after four of eight races, ahead of 2023 World Championships  bronze medallist Michael Vogt (SUI, 809), who finished on the podium in three of the four  2-man bobsleigh races. 

by Abhishek Shukla

Lisa Buckwitz in St. Moritz with third monobob victory in a row

St. Moritz (RWH) Bobsleigh pilot Lisa Buckwitz has celebrated her third consecutive  Monobob victory in the fourth race of the winter at the BMW IBSF World Cup in St. Moritz  (SUI). At the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz Celerina, Buckwitz was in third place after the first  run and took the lead in the second run with a season track record (1:10.89 minutes).  

Monobob World Champion Laura Nolte (GER, 0.13 seconds back), the leader after the first  run, dropped back one place and finished second. Australia’s Breeana Walker finished  third, 0.15 seconds behind winner Lisa Buckwitz and celebrated her third podium in a row  in Monobob World Cup.  

Olympic silver medallist Elana Meyers Taylor (USA) missed out on her first monobob  podium finish of her comeback season in St. Moritz and finished fourth. Local hero Melanie  Hasler from Switzerland finished in fifth place.  

With her victory, Lisa Buckwitz (GER, 843 points) also took the lead in the overall standings  for the BMW IBSF World Cup 2023/2024. Breeana Walker (AUS, 794) remains second  overall. Previous leader Kaysha Love (USA, 779), ninth in St. Moritz, is now third overall. 

by Abhishek Shukla

Italian Amedeo Bagnis with skeleton World Cup victory for the history books Olympic Champion Grotheer

St. Moritz (RWH) The BMW IBSF World Cup in St. Moritz (SUI) has come to an end with a  skeleton victory for the sporting history books. Amedeo Bagnis was the first athlete from  Italy to win a World Cup race in the men’s skeleton. At the World Championships or  Olympics, Italy has only ever won skeleton gold once: in 1948, Nino Bibbia became  Olympic Champion on the neighbouring Cresta Run, with the Winter Games also taking  place in St. Moritz at the time.  

On the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz Celerina, World Championships silver medallist Amedeo  Bagnis won the fourth World Cup of the winter with a 0.52 second lead over Olympic  Champion Christopher Grotheer from Germany. Third place went to World Championships  bronze medallist Seunggi Jung (KOR, 0.89 seconds back).  

World Champion Matt Weston from Great Britain narrowly missed out on the podium at the  BWM IBSF World Cup, finishing fourth ahead of push world champion Yin Zheng from  China. Mattia Gaspari completed the Italian team’s excellent result in St. Moritz in sixth  place with his best World Cup result to date.  

The best Swiss athlete at the BMW IBSF World Cup in St. Moritz was Vinzenz Buff. The  bronze medallist at the 2024 IBSF Junior World Championships achieved his best World  Cup result to date in 18th place on his home track.  

Seunggi Jung (KOR, 827 points) continues to lead the overall standings in the BMW IBSF  World Cup after four of the season’s eight races, ahead of Christopher Grotheer (GER,  819) and Matt Weston (GBR, 771). 

by Abhishek Shukla

Skeleton athlete Kimberley Bos extends World Cup lead with victory in St. Moritz

St. Moritz (RWH) Skeleton World Championships silver medallist Kimberley Bos from the  Netherlands has extended her lead in the overall standings at the halfway point of the  2023/2024 BMW IBSF World Cup with her second win of the season in the fourth race. At  the Olympia Bobrun St. Moritz Celerina in Switzerland, the Olympic silver medallist beat  the Italian Valentina Margaglio (0.73 seconds behind) into second place with a season track  record in the second run (1:08.80 minutes) 

There was a surprise in third place: US skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender competed in the  BMW IBSF World Cup for the first time in two years. 0.84 seconds behind winner Bos, the  39-year-old, overall World Cup winner in 2008 and World Champion in 2012, celebrated  her first World Cup podium finish since February 2013 in third place in St. Moritz.  

World Champion Susanne Kreher (GER) narrowly missed out on the podium and finished  fourth.  

Janine Flock from Austria, overall winner in 2015 and 2021, finished her 100th World Cup  race in seventh place.  

The best Swiss athlete in St. Moritz was U20 World Championships silver medallist Sara  Schmied, who finished 19th.  Kimberley Bos (NED, 810 points) leads the overall standings in the BMW IBSF World Cup  after four of the season’s eight races, ahead of Valentina Margaglio (ITA, 748) and four time World Champion Tina Hermann (GER, 697), who finished fifth in St. Moritz.

by Abhishek Shukla

World Curling Federation Sustainability Working Group reaches milestones in 2023

Perth, Scotland – The Sustainability Working Group was established in February 2023 to propose strategies, policies, rules and recommendations that empower the Federation and its Member Associations to implement sustainability best practices and actions in alignment with the Federation’s strategic goals.

Based on the analytical work from the Group and backed by the Board, the Federation became a signatory of the Sports for Climate Action Framework in September 2023.

The Framework is an initiative of United Nations Climate Change that aims to support and guide sports actors in achieving global climate change goals.

Since its formation, over 250 sports organisations signed the Framework, including several international federations in the winter Olympic Movement.

About becoming a signatory of the Framework, Beau Welling, World Curling Federation President, said “At World Curling, our vision is to make the world a better place by growing our sport and expanding our culture and values worldwide. This includes making planet-conscious decisions about our sport in general and our events in particular. Signing the Sports for Climate Action Framework is one step in this direction, to be followed by many more.”

Kim Forge, World Curling Federation Sustainability Working Group Chair, said “Our group’s mandate is to propose recommendations that empower the Federation and its Member Associations to implement good practices with regards to sustainability. We hope that we can inspire many of our members to investigate the Sports for Climate Action Framework and pledge to operate in a more sustainable way.”

As part of the Federation’s commitment to ongoing climate action and broader sustainability initiatives, it has partnered with Sporting Giants, a specialist sport and sustainability consultancy.

Sporting Giants has decades of experience in working with sporting organisations and supporting them in their mission to reduce their carbon emissions.

About working with Sporting Giants, Kim Forge said, “With their help, we are building the Federation’s first-ever sustainability strategy, which is a very exciting and important project for the Group. Within this process, we are identifying areas where the Federation can make a significant positive impact and we will build our sustainability actions accordingly. This is an opportunity to motivate and inspire large numbers of people to contribute actively to a more sustainable future.”

About working with World Curling, Scott Over, Sporting Giants CEO, said “We have a broad portfolio of international federations and events that we work with. In many cases, collective action accelerates innovation and positive change. Adding the World Curling Federation to the roster alongside other ice sports supports this mission and allows the Federation to take a leadership position in the winter sport community by protecting the future of the sport for generations to come.” 

Dan Reading, Sporting Giants Chief Sustainability Officer, added “Sporting Giants has begun work with the World Curling Federation to create an ambitious sustainability strategy with both short-term and long-term goals based on issues and opportunities that the sport faces. The strategy will be mapped with key stakeholders and the curling community whilst identifying strategic partners to assist in the delivery.”

by Abhishek Shukla

Emma Ekoluoma Stars Again as Finland Defeats Germany 6-0 in U18 Women’s World Championship

In a commanding display at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, Finland secured a 6-0 victory over Germany, largely thanks to the exceptional performance of Emma Ekoluoma. The 17-year-old forward from Karpat Oulu scored her second hat-trick in as many games, marking an impressive debut in the tournament.

Ekoluoma’s achievement puts her on the cusp of equalling a record set by Haley Skarupa of the USA in 2012, who scored hat-tricks in her first three games. However, Ekoluoma faces a formidable challenge in her next game against defending champions Canada.

Despite the lopsided score, Germany showed commendable resilience, especially following their 11-0 loss to Canada. Goalie Hannah Loist was a standout performer, making several significant saves to keep the Finnish team at bay for extended periods.

Finland took an early lead with Erika Kannkkunen setting up Senja Siivonen for the opening goal. While Finland dominated possession and shots, Germany’s defense, led by Loist’s efforts, managed to hold off further scoring for much of the game. Loist’s agility was particularly notable in a save against Eerika Siekkinen.

Ekoluoma’s first goal came late in the first period, followed by her completing the hat-trick in the third period, capitalizing on Finland’s power plays. Abigail Byskata also contributed significantly with two goals, one assisted by Ekoluoma.

Finland’s victory sets them up for a crucial matchup against Canada to determine the top spot in Group A. For Germany, the loss means they must win against Czechia to avoid finishing fourth in the group.

Ekoluoma’s standout performance underscores her potential as a rising star in women’s hockey. As the tournament progresses, Finland will look to leverage her scoring prowess, particularly in their upcoming game against Canada. Germany, on the other hand, will aim to bounce back against Czechia, showcasing the competitive spirit they have demonstrated despite their losses.

by Abhishek Shukla

US defeated Sweden 6-2 to win 6th Gold

In a dramatic New Year’s Eve showdown, the United States secured a dominant 6-2 victory over Sweden in the IIHF World Junior Championship, claiming their sixth all-time gold medal. The U.S. team showcased their exceptional skills and tactical prowess, capitalizing on their opportunities with near-flawless execution.

The game started cautiously, with Sweden initially asserting themselves but failing to challenge U.S. goalie Trey Augustine significantly. Despite their efforts, Sweden’s best player, Noah Ostlund, couldn’t convert his chances, missing crucial opportunities to score.

The Americans struck first late in the opening period, with a brilliant play by defender Will Smith setting up Gabe Perreault for a redirected goal. Sweden responded early in the second period, tying the game with a skillful deflection by Otto Stenberg.

However, the U.S. team demonstrated brilliance in counterattacking, regaining and then doubling their lead through goals by Isaac Howard. Sweden managed to narrow the gap before the end of the second period with a power-play goal by Jonathan Lekkerimaki.

The third period saw the Americans extend their lead, with Zeev Buium scoring a crucial goal. Despite a double minor penalty for high sticking against Ostlund, the Swedish penalty killers couldn’t prevent the U.S. from maintaining control. Ryan Leonard sealed the victory with a well-timed shot, followed by an empty-net goal from Rutger McGroarty.

This victory marks the U.S.’s sixth gold medal in the World Juniors, with their first win in 2004 and a total of six in the last 21 years. For Sweden, the loss was a heartbreak on home ice, as they have yet to win gold despite hosting the tournament seven times.

The U.S.’s triumph is a testament to their high-level skills, effective gameplay, and resilience, positioning them as a powerhouse in junior hockey. Sweden, despite a strong showing, will reflect on missed opportunities and look to build on their performance in future tournaments.

by Matt Windsor (US)

IIHF President Luc Tardif Outlines Future of World Juniors and Olympic Participation

Luc Tardif, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), addressed the media in his annual medal-day World Junior Championship press conference, held at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg. He expressed his enthusiasm for the tournament, describing it as a holiday gift to hockey fans and a showcase for the sport’s upcoming stars. Tardif praised Sweden’s hosting capabilities and confirmed the country would again host the World Championship in 2025.

The IIHF president announced that the agreement with Hockey Canada extends to 2034, ensuring that the World Juniors will be hosted in Canada biennially, with Ottawa set for 2025, followed by the United States in 2026, and returning to Canada in 2027.

On the topic of the Olympics, Tardif conveyed optimism about ongoing discussions with all stakeholders, including the NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, and IOC. He hinted at a positive announcement expected before the end of February regarding Olympic participation and is aiming for a commitment that would cover the next two Olympic cycles.

Safety concerns regarding the inclusion of Russia and Belarus in IIHF competitions remain paramount. Tardif reiterated that their participation would depend entirely on the safety of athletes and the feasibility of hosting secure events.

Anders Larsson, head of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, contributed to the discussion by highlighting the impressive attendance figures expected for this year’s World Juniors in Sweden, potentially surpassing the record set in Malmo in 2014.

by Abhishek Shukla

Czechia Stages Incredible Comeback to Win Bronze, Beating Finland 8-5 in World Juniors

Czechia pulled off a remarkable comeback in the bronze medal game of the World Junior Championship, overcoming a 5-2 deficit against Finland to win 8-5. The Czech team’s stunning third-period performance saw them score six unanswered goals, including four in just 50 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest goals scored in the tournament’s history.

Tomas Hamara emerged as the hero for Czechia, scoring the game-winning goal with just over a minute left in the game, shortly after Ondrej Becher tied the score. Czechia’s victory was marked by two additional records: scoring two goals in two seconds and claiming their second consecutive medal at the World Juniors.

Hamara, reflecting on his decisive goal and the team’s spirit, emphasized the importance of resilience and preparation by the coaching staff. His goal, along with contributions from Becher and Jiri Kulich, who had a hat trick and two assists, propelled Czechia to a historic win.

The game started with Finland taking an early lead, with goals from Rasmus Kumpulainen and Jani Nyman. However, Czechia’s response was swift, with Kulich scoring on a power play and Becher adding a crucial short-handed goal.

The second period was a flurry of goals, with Finland initially extending their lead before Czechia started their incredible comeback in the third. Kulich’s power-play goal early in the final period set the stage for the dramatic finish.

Finland, despite leading comfortably at one point, was left stunned as Czechia completed their improbable turnaround. The Czech team’s determination and ability to capitalize on opportunities in the crucial moments of the game were key to their triumph.

Czechia’s victory not only secures them the bronze medal but also cements their status as a rising power in junior hockey. For Finland, the loss is a bitter end to a tournament that saw them come close to a medal finish.

by Abhishek Shukla

World Curling to promote floor curling globally

Perth, Scotland – The World Curling Federation has today announced that it is expanding its long-standing partnership with Rock Solid Productions Inc., the global leader in iceless curling.
 
The partnership will promote floor curling within the World Curling Federation’s membership and aid in the establishment of new Member Associations. The partnership will see the World Curling Federation manage the governance for the floor curling discipline.
 
World Curling Federation President, Beau Welling said, “The World Curling Federation is delighted to grow our partnership with Rock Solid Productions and expand the role that floor curling can provide in promoting and developing our sport.
 
“We’ve seen substantial membership growth over the last number of years but many of our younger members don’t have access to ice to practice. Floor curling has a track record of successfully introducing curling to the masses and this new partnership will allow us to take it one step further by introducing tournaments to the off-ice discipline.”
 
Rock Solid Productions was founded in 2008 and its products are currently present in over 60 countries worldwide. Since its establishment, Rock Solid Productions has provided floor curling opportunities to millions of people. Tens of thousands of these floor curlers —primarily school children— eventually started playing on ice.
 
Rock Solid Productions President, Chad McMullan said, “As official partners of the World Curling Federation since 2015, we are very excited about this next step in the evolution of floor curling.
 
“Floor curling is a naturally inclusive sport, allowing people of all abilities to be able to compete together, at the same time. We have delivered almost three million floor curling experiences in Canada over the past 15 years, and this expanded partnership will help bring those opportunities to the rest of the world as well.”
 
World Curling Federation, Head of Development, Scott Arnold added, “One of the goals of this partnership was to standardise the rules of floor curling. This has been accomplished with the publishing of the World Floor Curling™ Official Rules of Play and Official Rules of Competition.
 
“To make these new rule books more accessible, we created online courses. These are presently in English, but our intention is to translate the courses into other languages to aid in the adaptation and growth of floor curling throughout our membership.”
 
World Curling Federation Commercial Partnerships Manager James Beatt said, “The partnership will provide our member associations the opportunity to create new pathways to further commercialise the sport in their respective nations. This is the first step to break down barriers to entry and reduce the cost to participate worldwide.”

by Abhishek Shukla

Gauthier’s Late Goal Sends USA to Gold-Medal Game Against Sweden

HOCKEY NEWS – In a thrilling semifinal, the United States staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Finland 3-2, securing their spot in the gold-medal game against host nation Sweden. Cutter Gauthier emerged as the hero for the U.S. team, scoring a decisive power-play goal with just over three minutes left in regulation.

The game began with Finland displaying a simplistic but effective style, emphasizing chipping the puck and creating turnovers. This strategy paid off early, with Tommi Mannisto capitalizing on a U.S. mistake to open the scoring. Finland continued to press, leading to Rasmus Kumpulainen’s tip-in goal, giving the Finns a 2-0 lead in the first period.

The U.S. team, known for their speed and puck movement, struggled initially against Finland’s tight defense. Goalie Niklas Kokko kept the Americans at bay, including a crucial save against Gavin Brindley. However, as the game progressed, the U.S. found their rhythm, beginning to dominate the play.

In the second period, the U.S. team’s efforts intensified. Despite several missed opportunities, Jimmy Snuggerud’s power-play goal reduced the deficit, followed by a quick equalizer from Will Smith, capitalizing on a Finnish defensive lapse.

Heading into the third period, the game was evenly poised at 2-2. The U.S. continued their aggressive play, culminating in Gauthier’s stunning late goal, securing a well-deserved victory.

The U.S. team’s ability to overcome a two-goal deficit showcases their resilience and skill, setting up an exciting gold-medal clash with Sweden. The turnaround was a testament to their strategic adjustments and relentless pressure, which eventually wore down the Finnish defense.

The gold-medal game promises to be a thrilling encounter, with the U.S. looking to carry forward their momentum against a strong Swedish side on home ice.