Gold and bronze in the team competition for Italy

Both South Tyrolean teams, i.e. both Italian teams, won a medal today in fantastic winter weather. The “Italy 1” team with Melanie Schwarz, Alex Gruber and the doubles Patrick Pigneter/Florian Clara were particularly impressive in front of a packed grandstand (Deutschnofner and Petersberg elementary school students had come to cheer on the athletes). First of all, Melanie Schwarz continued her great training performance from yesterday and kept the gap to the Russian high-flyer Ekatharina Lavrentjeva within limits with 0,81 seconds - Lavrentjeva also achieved the best time of all women today, Schwarz came second, making her still a hot candidate on precious metal remains in the single-seater competition. Then Alex Gruber made up part of the gap against the leading Russians with the second best time of the day (behind Thomas Schopf). This left the double Patrick Pigneter/Florian Clara with the task of catching up with the Russian world champion double Porshnev/Lazarev by 24 hundredths of a second. And they did it in impressive style and were a full two seconds faster than all other doubles that day. They missed their own track record in Nova Ponente by three hundredths of a second. “Italy 1” was able to defend the world championship title in Umhausen in 2011.

But “Italy 2” with Evelin Lanthaler, Florian Breitenberger and Hannes Clara/Stefan Gruber was also convincing. Toni Blasbichler was actually a permanent starter in this team, but the old master voluntarily qualified with Breitenberger and lost it. A sporting gesture that does credit to the tobogganing legend Blasbichler.

Two medals in the team competition are a dream start to this World Cup. The two medals are not that self-evident. Firstly, everyone knew that the Russians with serial winner Lavrentjeva and the reigning world champions Porshnev/Lazarev were extremely strong - they were the real favorites for gold. And secondly, you also had to take Austria 1 into account, because Thomas, Christian and Andreas Schopf had performed excellently in yesterday's training. In fact, Thomas Schopf set the best time of the day (half a second faster than second place Alex Gruber) and his cheers at the finish showed that the Austrians could even hope for gold. Schopf's cousins Christian and Andreas, who had achieved the best time in both runs yesterday in training, were still at the top. Then what shouldn't have happened happened: Schopf/Schopf put the wrong weight on a curve and were literally thrown off their toboggan. From the dream. Now it's time to get the destroyed toboggan ready to race again tomorrow, because Schopf/Schopf are expecting a lot in Deutschnofen.

Rich supporting program

There is also a lot going on in Nova Ponente outside of the sporting events. After the successful opening ceremony and gala evening for several hundred invited guests yesterday evening, there will be two World Cup parties with live music in the marquee today and tomorrow at 20 p.m. Tomorrow, Saturday afternoon, there will also be a spectacular air show by the Bozen model aircraft group at 14 p.m. and then an “International Prize Watten” in the festival tent.

Final result of the team competition: 1. Italy I 2:49,35 Melanie Schwarz, Alex Gruber, Patrick Pigneter/Florian Clara 2. Russia I 2:51,77 Ekatharina Lavrentjeva, Stanislav Kovshik, Pavel Porshnev/Ivan Lazarev 3. Italy II 2:52,92 Evelin Lanthaler, Florian Breitenberger, Hannes Clara/Stefan Gruber 4. Austria II 2:53,48 Marlies Wagner, Michael Scheikl, Christian Schatz/Gerhard Mühlbacher 5. Germany 2:53,60 Michaela Maurer, Georg Maurer, Björn Kierspel/Christian Wichan

The program from the weekend at the Toboggan World Championships

Saturday, January 26th 10 a.m.: 1st double-seater race and 1st single-seater women's race 12 p.m.: 2nd double-seater race, followed by a flower ceremony 12.30 p.m.: 2nd single-seater women's race and 1st men's single-seater race

Sunday, January 27st 10 a.m.: 2st single-seater men's race 11.30 a.m.: 3st single-seater women's race 12 a.m.: 3st single-seater men's race

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Gold and bronze in the team competition for Italy

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