Wendl and Arlt dethrone doubles champions to claim luge crown

World champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt won the men’s doubles at the Sanki Sliding Centre, to continue Germany’s golden streak in the luge at Sochi 2014.

Wendl and Arlt, who are also the current World Cup holders, clocked a combined time of one minute 38.933 seconds after two runs to finish 0.522 seconds ahead of Austrian brothers Andreas and Wolfgang Linger, who arrived in Sochi as reigning two-time Olympic champions.

“There are no any special secrets of our success, just two good runs,» said a mater-of-fact Arlt.

He did though add that the example set by his team-mates Felix Loch and Natalie Geisenberger — who won Olympic gold medals in men’s and women’s singles – had provided him and Wendl with inspiration.

“They pushed us, we knew they’re now strong and we need to show our best to be level with them,” he revealed.

On top of the world

In their first run, Wendl and Arlt set a new Sanki Sliding Centre track record of 49.373 seconds, to put themselves ahead of the Linger brothers.

Another pair of brothers, Andris and Juris Sics of Latvia, who grabbed silver at Vancouver 2010, finished in third place after the other Austrian crew Peter Penz and Georg Fischler failed to complete their second run.

“We’re happy,” said Sics. “To win a medal in such a strong company is fantastic!”

But the final word lay with an ecstatic Arlt: “Germany is on the top of the world in luge. It’s our sport.”