European Luge Championships 1914

The 1st European Luge Championships were held on February 1st and 2nd, 1914 at Jeschken in Reichenberg .

With 88 men and 33 doubles taking part, the first European Luge Championships were a sporting success and one of the biggest sporting events of the year in Europe. It was also a financial success. The number of spectator tickets sold was given by Sportkorrespondenz Graz as 30,000 on both days of the competition. The Prager Tagblatt estimated the number of visitors on the first day of the competition at 60,000, the Neue Freie Presse reported that there were "tens of thousands" of viewers.

In the official program of the European Championships, the titles were awarded for the men and the doubles. In addition to the European championships, the Sudetenland championships in women's and men's two-seater were also held. There and out of competition at the European Championships, well-known personalities also drove, such as the Prince and Princess von Schaumburg-Lippe , Prince Lobkowitz and Prince Schwarzenberg. The women's race for the Sudetenland championship was won by Anna Skoda from Austria. Today, however, Skoda is often the first female European champion.

The competitions were carried out on behalf of the Central European Tobogganing Association founded in 1913 , the German-Austrian Toboggan Association, the German Rodelbund, the German Bobsleigh Association, the International Sledge Club Davos and the Klosters Sledge and Bobsleigh Club, which belonged to three nations.

Men

space	athlete	country	place	time
1	Rudolf Kauschka	Austria	Reichenberg	4:30,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {4}{5}}}$
2	Jakob Platzer	Austria	Sterzing	4:39,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {4}{5}}}$
3	Richard Simm	Austria	Dessendorf	4:41,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{5}}}$
4th	Hans Gfäller	German Empire	Oberaudorf	4:42,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {4}{5}}}$
5	Josef Doleschal	Austria	Mödling	4: 43.0 min
6th	Max Ehinger	Austria	Hohenelbe	4:44,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{5}}}$
7th	Franz Keim	Austria	Sterzing	4:47,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{5}}}$
8th	Karl Markel	Austria	Graz	4:51,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{5}}}$
9	Ernst Hoffmann	Austria	Nachod	4:52,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {2}{5}}}$
10	Josef Pilgersdorfer	Austria	Vordernberg	4:54,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {4}{5}}}$
11	Erwin Pösselt	Austria	Gablonz	4:55,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {4}{5}}}$
12	Kamill Hofer	Austria	Hohenelbe	4: 56.0 min
13	Berthold Pösselt	Austria	Josefstal	4:56,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {2}{5}}}$
14th	Albert Mueller	Austria	Reichenberg	4:57,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{5}}}$
15th	Karl Hagen	German Empire	Oberaudorf	4:57,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {2}{5}}}$
16	August Soukup	Austria	Gablonz	4:57,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {4}{5}}}$
17th	Josef Altmann	Austria	Reichenberg	4:58,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {2}{5}}}$
18th	Ferdinand Langer	Austria	Mödling	4:58,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{5}}}$
19th	Oskar Besemüller	Austria	Reichenberg	4:59,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{5}}}$
20th	from Trebra-Lindenau		Neu-Rennersdorf	4:59,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{5}}}$
further placements, as far as known:
30th	Fritz Zsak	Austria	Graz
38	Franz Prodinger	Austria	Leoben
45	Otto Rabensteiner	Austria	Leoben
52	August Zirl	Austria	Vienna
58	Franz Wakonigg	Austria	Liezen

Date: February 1, 1914
There were 88 tobogganists at the start. The EM was decided in two races. Local hero Rudolf Kauschka won the competition with a nine-second lead. There were several falls, but all of them were minor.

Double

space	athlete	country	place	time
1	Karl Löbel * Erwin Pösselt	Austria Austria	Gablonz Gablonz	2:34,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {2}{5}}}$
2	Hans Gfäller Rudolf Kauschka	German Empire Austria	Oberaudorf Reichenberg	2:35,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{5}}}$
3	Arthur Klamt Berthold Pösselt	Austria Austria	Josefstal Josefstal	2: 39.0 min
4th	Josef Doleschal Josef Wustinger	Austria Austria	Mödling Mödling	2:39,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{5}}}$
5	Franz Prodinger Franz Perz	Austria Austria	Leoben Leoben	2:41,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {2}{5}}}$
6th	Ferdinand Langer Theodor Potyka	Austria Austria	Mödling Mödling	2:41,  min ${\displaystyle {\tfrac {4}{5}}}$

* The spelling Karl Löbl is also mentioned.

Date: February 2, 1914
There were 33 doubles at the start, the first six places are still known. Unlike the individual race, the race was held in one run. Two were planned, but the racing program had to be reduced to one run before the first run, as the clear weather made the track too soft. There were no falls.

literature

• Harald Steyrer, Herbert Wurzer, Egon Theiner: 50 Years FIL * 50 Years FIL. 1957-2007 , Volume I pp. 32-33; Volume II p. 91
• Luge Championship of Europe. In:  Prager Tagblatt , February 3, 1914, p. 4 (online at ANNO ).
• Luge championship for Europe 1914. In:  Neue Freie Presse , February 3, 1914, p. 11 (online at ANNO ).