PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) – In a whirlwind of exceptional performances, Wolfgang Kindl of Austria made history in the world of luge at the World Cup event in Pyeongchang. Kindl kickstarted his day with a thrilling win in the luge World Cup doubles competition alongside his teammate Thomas Steu. Little did he know that he was about to etch his name in the annals of luge history later that day.
With unwavering determination and skill, Kindl achieved a remarkable feat that hadn’t been seen in 32 years. He became the first slider in over three decades to emerge victorious in both the men’s singles and doubles races during the same World Cup weekend – a monumental achievement that left the luge world in awe. Not only did Kindl secure the doubles win with Steu, but he also displayed exceptional prowess in the singles event by fending off fierce competition from Dominik Fischnaller of Italy to claim the coveted victory.
The International Luge Federation confirmed that Kindl now joins an elite group of only four men’s sliders who have managed to pull off such an extraordinary weekend sweep. This exclusive club includes Norbert Huber, who achieved this feat three times in 1985 and 1986, along with Hansjörg Raffl and Wilfried Huber who accomplished the same in 1986 and 1993 respectively.
Reflecting on his momentous achievement, Kindl humbly admitted, “To be honest, I was really nervous at the start. But it’s a wonderful day. I was always fast in training, but a race is something else.” The podium for the men’s singles race also saw Kristers Aparjods claiming the third spot for Latvia, while Tucker West emerged as the top American finisher, securing the 12th position.
Meanwhile, Max Langenhan of Germany clinched the fourth spot and maintained his lead in the World Cup overall standings, sitting comfortably 58 points ahead of Nico Gleirscher of Austria as they head towards the final race of the season next weekend. The German dominance continued in the men’s doubles competition, with Toni Eggert and Florian Mueller securing the second spot, followed by Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt in third. The latter duo now holds a commanding 85-point lead over Steu and Kindl in the race for the World Cup title with one race remaining.
Representing the U.S., Zach Di Gregorio and Sean Hollander put up a commendable performance, finishing in seventh place in the men’s doubles event. Over in the bobsled arena, the spotlight was on Francesco Friedrich from Germany, who clinched his seventh World Cup seasonlong two-man points title with a second-place finish in the finale at Lillehammer, Norway.
In an impressive display of German prowess, Johannes Lochner secured victory in the race and claimed
