Patrick Pigneter wants to have a lot of reason to celebrate again this year.

Countdown for the World Cup season in natural track luge is underway

Just over a week before the start, the new season in the natural track luge World Cup was officially presented on Thursday in the media hall in Hall in Tirol (AUT). The 2024/2025 World Cup begins on December 20 in Winterleiten (AUT).

12 December 2024

From: pm

Evelin Lanthaler, Patrick Pigneter and Matthias Lambacher/Peter Lambacher (all from South Tyrol) will enter the 2024/2025 season as defending champions in the overall World Cup. As usual, the race calendar includes six World Cups and one eliminator, so a total of seven races in the women's singles, men's singles and doubles categories.

It starts shortly before Christmas in Winterleiten (AUT) with a double World Cup from December 20th to 22nd. After the turn of the year, the third World Cup is scheduled for January 5th to 6th, 2025 in Laas. On January 25th to 26th, Mariazell (AUT) will celebrate a comeback in the World Cup after a three-year break. A particularly intense race weekend awaits the athletes from February 7th to 9th in Umhausen. The fifth World Cup will be held on the 2021 World Cup track, with the only eliminator scheduled for Sunday. The World Cup final follows on February 22nd to 23rd in Deutschnofen, the 2013 and 2023 World Cup venue will be the venue for the final for the first time.

climax of the 2025 World Cup

The Tyrolean winter sports resort of Kühtai (AUT) is hosting the natural track luge championships for the first time. The races will take place on the newly built natural luge run "Kühtai", after a World Cup race was held there for the first time in December 2023. For Riccarda Ruetz (AUT) it is the home World Cup: "I'm really looking forward to the World Cup, last year there were a lot of spectators there cheering me on. That was really nice," said the 20-year-old at the launch of the season.

Michael Scheikl (l.) and Riccarda Ruetz attended the press conference on Thursday. © Christian Staffler / Maria Hörhager

Her teammate Michael Scheikl still has a score to settle with the World Championships: "There is still a World Championship title missing from my collection," explained the Styrian, "I hope that I can have a say in the fight for medals at the World Championships."

The European champions will be determined in the Junior World Cup in Latsch in 2025. Andreas Castiglioni (Director of Sport and Technology, Natural Track): "In the Junior World Cup there will also be four World Cup races this winter and a major event with the Junior European Championships. I assume that we will also experience exciting races next winter, because many young lugers are pushing forward and putting pressure on the established athletes."

The race calendars at a glance

World Cup 2024/2025
December 20th/22nd: Winterleiten, AUT
January 5th/6th: Laas
January 25/26: Mariazell, AUT
February 7/9: Umhausen, AUT
February 22/23: Deutschnofen

25th World Championships in Natural Track Luge
January 17/19: Kühtai, AUT

Junior World Cup 2024/2025
December 28th/29nd: Winterleiten, AUT
January 3rd/4th: Passeier Valley
January 11th/12th: Umhausen, AUT
February 1st/2nd: Laas

European Junior Championships
15/16 February: Latsch