World Cup in Innsbruck
Smack for toboggan men: “A beating”
Austria coach Georg Hackl has a good laugh. As in 2022, his men achieved a quadruple victory in the home World Cup. Max Langenhan and Felix Loch puzzle.
World champion Max Langenhan seemed perplexed after the toboggan slap, Felix Loch was angry. “You just have to say it, unfortunately it wasn’t quite World Cup-worthy here,” said three-time Olympic champion Loch about the conditions on the Olympic ice track in Innsbruck-Igls. But the 35-year-old didn’t want to blame the heavy defeat against his arch-rivals on “the difficult conditions”: “What the Austrians showed was really strong.”After the Langenhan victory and third place by hole at the season opener in Lillehammer The two German model lugers in the men’s single-seater came fifth and sixth behind four Austrians with Nico Gleirscher at the top. “We don’t need to hide, but the gap to the Austrians is simply too big. You really have to say that,” said new national coach Patric Leitner. “I just drove badly,” said Langenhan. “I don’t know why they’re so far ahead. That’s a bit noticeable,” said the 25-year-old. “We’re getting a beating upstairs – and in Austria. That’s difficult, of course.”
Home advantage played out again
Is it because of Georg Hackl? As early as 2022, when Germany’s toboggan legend had just started as a trainer for driving and sledding technique with the Austrians, the red-white-red toboggan men exploited their home advantage with a quadruple victory. This time too, Germany’s 1998 Sportsman of the Year had a good laugh.
Next weekend the German tobogganers will be hosting the World Cup races in Oberhof. “We want to stand up to that again,” said national coach Leitner.
dpa
Source: Stern
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