Luge FIL World Cup 2019 - 2020

[dcro 10,210]

Mueller wins again.

[phelps 7,675]

and good comeback up to bronze for D-Fisch...

 

no Germans in the top 8...

[Monzanator 4,502]

1 hour ago, phelps said:

and good comeback up to bronze for D-Fisch...

 

no Germans in the top 8...

 

I'm not surprised. Even Georg Hackl once said Sigulda & Lake Placid are the two worst tracks for German lugers because the start speed isn't that important here. Germans continue to rely on the starts very much for a long time. Paramonovo, the other notoriously tough track for Germans has become extinct since Sochi came on the map.

Edited December 1, 2019 by Monzanator

[phelps 7,675]

6 minutes ago, Monzanator said:

 

I'm not surprised. Even Georg Hackl once said Sigulda & Lake Placid are the two worst tracks for German lugers because the start speed isn't that important here. Germans continue to rely on the starts very much for a long time.

 

well, despite that, Loch has done well on Lake Placid's track more than once...

 

but today he made a capital mistake in the first run and wasn't perfect even in the second run, so he did climb some positions, but not as many as he already did in the past...

 

however, yes...LP and Sigulda are the 2 worst tracks for them...because start times are normally not so important (there are quite a few tricky sections that are definitely more important than the starting phase) and also because those are the 2 tracks where they can't train at all during the year...

 

if only it was possible to find a non-German FIL president who cuts the number of races and training weeks in Germany...

Edited December 1, 2019 by phelps

[Monzanator 4,502]

10 minutes ago, phelps said:

 

well, despite that, Loch has done well on Lake Placid's track more than once...

 

but today he made a capital mistake in the first run and wasn't perfect even in the second run, so he did climb some positions, but not as many as he already did in the past...

 

however, yes...LP and Sigulda are the 2 worst tracks for them...because start times are normally not so important (there are quite a few tricky sections that are definitely more important than the starting phase) and also because those are the 2 tracks where they can't train at all during the year...

 

if only it was possible to find a non-German FIL president who cuts the number of races and training weeks in Germany...

 

Let's get real, nobody gives a flying fuck about luge other than Germany. You have to have the facilities to be successful at it and Germany has them. Due to winter games being held in obscure locations lately you can't count on Koreans or Chinese making a run (though it worked in skeleton or even bobsleight a little). Russians are doing much better than in the 90s for instance, Paramonovo, Sochi and Sigulda have helped them a lot. Hell, Latvians building a track in Sigulda was a very good decision but it was easier in a country where there's zero winter sport success or interest outside of ice hockey. Austria & Italy have had success historically but no way luge becomes the new black here. Switzerland ought to do better in luge tbh but it seems like bobsleigh is their main focus again and again.

[dcro 10,210]

Lots of crashes today.

[dcro 10,210]

1 hour ago, Monzanator said:

 

Let's get real, nobody gives a flying fuck about luge other than Germany. You have to have the facilities to be successful at it and Germany has them. Due to winter games being held in obscure locations lately you can't count on Koreans or Chinese making a run (though it worked in skeleton or even bobsleight a little). Russians are doing much better than in the 90s for instance, Paramonovo, Sochi and Sigulda have helped them a lot. Hell, Latvians building a track in Sigulda was a very good decision but it was easier in a country where there's zero winter sport success or interest outside of ice hockey. Austria & Italy have had success historically but no way luge becomes the new black here. Switzerland ought to do better in luge tbh but it seems like bobsleigh is their main focus again and again.

 

Austria is definitely growing in luge. Right now they have much more depth in men's events than Germans. Hell, they are even building a second home track.

[heywoodu 15,140]

John Morgan commentating today instead of Tim Singer. Obviously we know him from skeleton and bobsled, but personally I didn't know he made his commentating debut at the 1981 world championships....at the race where his brother - driving one of the American sleds - broke his neck and died in a crash  

 

[dcro 10,210]

3 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

John Morgan commentating today instead of Tim Singer. Obviously we know him from skeleton and bobsled, but personally I didn't know he made his commentating debut at the 1981 world championships....at the race where his brother - driving one of the American sleds - broke his neck and died in a crash  

 

Surprised you didn't know that before.

[heywoodu 15,140]

Just now, dcro said:

 

Surprised you didn't know that before.

It sounded vaguely familiar, but not very  

 

Any word on where Tim Singer went today? I mean, I was expecting four guys to jump on that luge sled when I heard John Morgan  

Edited December 1, 2019 by heywoodu