Felix Loch extends World Cup luge lead with victory in Königssee
Fellow Germans Toni Eggert, Sascha Benecken triumph in doubles
Felix Loch extended his World Cup luge men's singles points lead Saturday in the first major race where U.S. sliders took part since before the pandemic began.
Loch won for the sixth time in seven races this season, and is now 5-for-5 in full two-run competitions. He extended his lead to 235 points over fellow German Johannes Ludwig in the overall standings with five races remaining. Luge awards 100 standings points for wins, 85 for second place, 70 for third and numbers continue decreasing from there.
WATCH | Loch captures 45th career World Cup luge event at Konigssee:
Russia's Roman Repilov was second, and Ludwig took third.
Chris Mazdzer was 15th and Jonny Gustafson took 20th for the U.S., which rejoined the World Cup circuit this week after sitting out the first half of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic and concerns about travel.
While Reid Watts, the lone Canadian in the field, finished 24th.
In the doubles race, Germany's Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken won for the third time in seven races this season. Fellow Germans Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt were second and the Austrian sled of Thomas Steu and Lorenz Koller took third.
WATCH | Germans Toni Eggert, Sascha Benecken win doubles race:
Eggert and Benecken extended their lead over Steu and Koller to 39 points in the overall season standings, 440-401 with four races remaining.
Mazdzer and Jayson Terdiman were 13th in the doubles race for the U.S.
Canada's Tristan Walker and Justin Snith slide into 18th in their World Cup return.
The women's race is Sunday, followed by a team relay.
