Aparjods Wins in Warm Oberhof

From Oberhof, GER

(February 11, 2024) – For the third race in a row unseasonably warm temperatures in Germany led to an interesting race on the FIL World Cup, where the ice deteriorated quickly and led to big moves in the second heat.

Svante Kohala led after the first heat from the ninth starting position. As the last few races had seen winners from farther back in the field, some top sliders began to intentionally slow down their runs with otherwise unnecessary foot drops. This included Felix Loch, Max Langenhan, Wolfgang Kindl and others, which left Alex Ferlazzo and Mathis Ertel behind Kohala in the top three, with Loch in sixth, Langenhan in seventh, and Kindl back in 12th. Farther back were Nico and David Gleischer, as well as Dominik Fischnaller, all of whom were outside of the top 20.

In the second heat, with quicker athletes mixed in, David Gleirscher took the lead from the 23rd starting spot with Fischnaller and brother Nico behind him. That trio moved up the finishing order in first through third until Latvia’s Kristers Aparjods took over from 17th in the first heat.

From there, slider after slider tried to top Aparjods’ combined time. Langenhan, winner of all but one race in World Cup this season, came closest but still couldn’t match the Latvian’s time as he slid into second, in between Aparjods and David Gleirscher.

From there it was academic. Loch didn’t quite have the speed to contend for a podium, nor did anyone else, as Aparjods took gold, ahead of Langenhan and Gleirscher.

Afterwards, Aparjods told FIL’s Kate Hansen that it was a bit of mixed feelings winning gold in a warm weather race.

“It’s raining and it’s warm, and a “weather race” as we call it,” Aparjods said of his win. “This time I was lucky, but I should be happy for that. I was talking to the boys on the podium, asking how I should act. But it’s a World Cup…I was lucky to be in the middle after the first run, and I made a good run.”

Jonas Müller, winner of the previous year’s World Championship in Oberhof, finished fourth, ahead of Kindl in fifth and Fischnaller in sixth.

Tucker West led the way for the United States with a tenth place finish, one spot ahead of teammate Jonny Gustafson in 11th. Hunter Harris rounded out the American effort in 21st.

Canada’s Dylan Morse finished 24th.

With five races to go in the FIL World Cup season, Max Langenhan leads Jonas Müller by 176 points, with Kristers Aparjods just nine points behind Müller. Nico Gleirscher and Dominik Fischnaller round out the top five.

Results: