Two luge battles for every thousandth

In luge, every thousandth of a second can be worth gold. The two pairs Rieder/Kainzwaldner and Nagler/Malleier want to come out on top in this battle.

17 November 2024

From: never

The mission of Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner is clear. “At the moment everything revolves around the Olympics, we are only working towards that,” explained Rieder in an interview with SportNewsThe duo is already on the right track to fulfill their dream of winning a medal at the Winter Games in their own country.

"They did well last year," said Italy's racing director Armin Zöggler, looking back on the past winter for Rieder and Kainzwaldner. "But this season they set the bar much higher."

After numerous strong performances, should it finally be the first victory in the World Cup? Or should it be something brilliant at the World Championships in Whistler, Canada (February 6 to 8, 2025)? Ideally both, of course - but the task will not be easy. "In doubles, the level of performance is particularly high, so it is difficult to move up," Zöggeler emphasized.

The ambitious duo is also aware of this challenge. "For us, every thousandth counts, we tinker in every nook and cranny," says Kainzwaldner. "But we are on the right track."

Nagler/Malleier and the dream of the podium

While Rieder and Kainzwaldner are striving for their first victory, Ivan Nagler and Fabian Malleier are finally aiming for their first joint podium finish on the big stage next season.

"The last year didn't go quite as they had hoped," said Zöggeler. "But they are now on the right track."

Nagler and Malleier want to continue on this path and reward themselves with a place in the top 3 as soon as possible. The best time would of course be at the World Championships in Canada, where they finished fourth a year ago. "We're really hoping to be able to give it our all there," says Nagler.