FIL European Luge Natural Track Championships 2002
The 19th FIL Luge Natural Track Championship was held February 3, 2002 at the Austrian Frantschach - Sankt Gertraud from 1.
Technical data of the natural toboggan run
Single Seater Men
Date: February 2 ( 1 scoring run ) and 3 February 2002 ( 2nd and 3rd scoring run )
The Austrian Gerhard Pilz, world champion from 1986 to 1996 was with the fastest time in the second and third round for the first time European champions. He ended the winning streak of the Italians, which turned the European champion seven times in a row before. In the second place, his compatriot Robert Batkowski, who had already won at the last European Championship three years ago silver placed. Third-placed Gernot Schwab, who won his first medal at major events, completed the Austrian triple victory. This stood for the first time since the first two European Championships in 1970 and 1971 again three Austrians in the men's singles on the podium. In fourth and fifth followed by two more Austrians, the defending champion Anton Blasbichler from Italy was sixth.
Single Seater Ladies
Date: Feb 2nd (1st and 2nd championship round ) and 3 February 2002 ( 3 championship round )
European champion in the women's single seater was the 18- year-old Italian Lanthaler Sandra, who had never denied a World Cup race. She won by eight hundredths of a second ahead of the World Champion from 2000, Ekaterina Lawrentjewa from Russia. Only two hundredths of a second slower was the defending champion, reigning World Champion and overall World Cup winner this season, Sonja Steinacher from Italy.
Two-seater
Date: 2nd February 2002 ( both races )
The Austrians Wolfgang and Andreas Schopf were a year after her first World Championship title and European champion in doubles. The silver medal won their team-mates Reinhard Beer and Herbert Kögl. Third were the Poles Andrzej Laszczak and Damian Waniczek that therefore the second medal for Poland won in natural track luge European Championships ever. The first Polish medal winners were Krzysztof Neviadomski and Oktawian Samulski, which are 1991 became European Champion in doubles.