Wendl-Arlt, Egle-Kipp win World Cup overall luge titles, Taubitz closes in on crown

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ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany clinched their seventh men's doubles World Cup luge overall season title Saturday, while Selina Egle and Lara Kipp of Austria claimed the women's doubles crown for the second straight season.

Wendl and Arlt were third in the men's doubles race at St. Moritz, good enough to lock up the season title with one race left. Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl of Austria won the race, with Italy’s Ivan Nagler and Fabian Malleier second.

Egle and Kipp didn't even finish in the medals; they were fifth in the women's race and still clinched their points title. Olympic champions Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer of Italy won the race, with Elisa-Marie Storch and Pauline Patz of Germany second, followed by Anda Upite and Madara Pavlova of Latvia third.

In the women's singles race, Olympic champion Julia Taubitz of Germany won on Saturday and moved closer to the overall points title.

Merle Fraebel of Germany was second and Verena Hofer of Italy was third. Taubitz now has a 19-point lead over Fraebel headed into next week’s finale at Altenberg, Germany, meaning a first- or second-place finish will clinch the title regardless of what anyone else does in the race.

Austria’s Hannah Prock was only 30 points back of Taubitz entering the race — but couldn’t slide on Saturday following an emergency appendectomy. Taubitz, Fraebel and Austria’s Lisa Schulte are the only women left with a mathematical chance at the title.

Summer Britcher of the U.S. was seventh in the women’s race, and is fourth in the world rankings. Britcher is the only USA Luge athlete competing in the World Cup this weekend.

Men's luge World Cup on Sunday in St. Moritz.

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