Latvia Wins Team Relay

From Sigulda, LAT

(January 15, 2023) – A week ago Latvia won almost everything over the course of the first of two Sigulda luge race weekends. Over the European Championships weekend Germany rallied back on warmer, slower ice to win the men’s, women’s and doubles luge races.

But Latvia was going to get the last laugh as they won the team relay event to finish out the race weekend.

Italy was the first of the expected medal contenders to record a time, and they slid into the lead just about a second over Ukraine. The United States was next, and Ashley Farquharson looked to have a contending run going but missed the paddle to record a DSQ for the USA.

Latvia was the penultimate team down, and the team of Elina Vitola, Kristers Aparjods and the duo of Martins Bots and Roberts Plume slid to the lead by over a quarter of a second.

That left Germany, a team who has won more relays than the rest of the world combined. Anna Berreiter gave Germany the lead by .088 after the first run, but Max Langenhan had trouble loading into his sled, and that set the Germans back by over .4. Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt closed the gap, but ran out of track as they hit the paddle in second place to give Latvia the victory.

The win was Latvia’s second straight, both on home ice in Sigulda. Germany good silver, and Italy bronze.

Ukraine finished fourth, ahead of Slovakia and China.

Austria’s woes in Sigulda continued as their doubles team of Gatt and Schöpf crashed and scored a DNF. Like the USA, Poland also missed the paddle and was disqualified.

Latvia leads the World Cup standings, 15 points ahead of Germany. Italy is third, with the United States and Ukraine fourth and fifth.

Results: