Luge Challenge Cup

The FIL organized the Challenge Cup from 1999 to 2010.

The Luge Challenge Cup was a winter sports competition that was held from 1999/00 to 2009/10.

In contrast to the Luge World Cup , which took place in parallel in the same locations, the Challenge Cup was characterized by a knockout system : two tobogganers met each other, the winner of the duel advanced one lap. Most of the tobogganers who were successful in the World Cup did well in the Challenge Cup; however, there were more frequent surprise victories. In summer 2010 the World Luge Federation FIL decided to cancel the Challenge Cup without replacement.

Competition mode

Armin Zöggeler won the Challenge Cup six times.

The modes of execution in the various Challenge Cup competitions have been varied over and over again in recent years.

Ladies

In the 2000/01 to 2003/04 seasons, the athletes competed in a knockout round in five pairings. The winners and the fastest loser made it to the semi-finals and the top four made it to the finals. From the 2004/05 season there was first a group stage with four groups. Only the first place got into the semifinals, which, like the finals, was carried out in a knockout system.

Men's

From 2000/01 to 2003/04 there were initially two knockout rounds from which ten participants emerged in the first and the five final round participants in the second. From the 2004/05 season, the mode changed to a group stage with four groups (three athletes per group), the winners of which qualified for the semi-finals. From the semi-finals, two athletes then competed against each other in a knockout system. In the 2005/06 season and for the following years, the strength of the first round groups was increased to four.

Two-seater

Up to the 2005/06 season, the mode of competition developed analogously to that of the women, after which it was switched to a pure knockout system in three rounds.

Venues

• Lillehammer (NOR) (1999/00, 2002/03, 2009/10)
• Sigulda (LAT) (1999/00, 2001/02, 2004/05, 2006/07, 2007/08)
• Königssee (GER) (1999/00, 2001/02, 2003/04)
• Calgary (CAN) (1999/00, 2001/02, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10)
• Innsbruck-Igls (AUT) (1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2008/09)
• Oberhof (GER) (2000/01, 2005/06, 2006/07)
• La Plagne (FRA) (2000/01)
• Altenberg (GER) (2000/01, 2002/03-2008/09)
• Winterberg (GER) (2001/02/2004/05)
• Park City (USA) (2003/04, 2006/07)
• Turin (ITA) (2005/06)
• Cesana (ITA) (2008/09, 2009/10)

Challenge Cup winner

year	Winner women	Winner gentlemen	Winner doubles
1999/00	Sylke Otto	Armin Zöggeler	Mark Grimmette / Brian Martin
2000/01	Sylke Otto	Armin Zöggeler	André Florschütz / Torsten Wustlich
2001/02	Sylke Otto	Markus Prock	Mark Grimmette / Brian Martin
2002/03	Sylke Otto	Markus Kleinheinz	Mark Grimmette / Brian Martin
2003/04	Sylke Otto	Georg Hackl	Patric Leitner / Alexander Resch
2004/05	Natalja Jakuschenko	Albert Demchenko	André Florschütz / Torsten Wustlich
2005/06	Sylke Otto	David Möller	Christian Oberstolz / Patrick Gruber
2006/07	Silke Kraushaar-Pielach	Armin Zöggeler	Christian Oberstolz / Patrick Gruber
2007/08	Silke Kraushaar-Pielach	Armin Zöggeler	Patric Leitner / Alexander Resch
2008/09	Tatjana Huefner	Armin Zöggeler	Plankensteiner / Haselrieder
2009/10	Tatjana Huefner	Armin Zöggeler	Christian Oberstolz / Patrick Gruber

Name Sponsors

The official sponsors were from the 1999/00 to 2000/01 season LUK, from 2001/02 to 2003/04 Krombacher , from 2004/05 to 2008/09 Suzuki and in the 2009/10 season Tiscover .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Team relay now with World Cup status on fil-luge.org. Released August 12, 2010.