Loch leads German sweep in luge World Cup

OBERHOF, Germany (AP) Two-time Olympic champion Felix Loch led a German sweep of the podium in a men's luge World Cup race with his fourth consecutive victory of the season on Saturday.

Tatjana Huefner made it a perfect day for Germany by pacing another sweep in the women's race, her first win in two years.

Loch also seized the overall World Cup lead. He set a course record in the first heat and won in an aggregate two-run time of 1 minute, 26.068 seconds.

Andi Langenhan was second, .385 behind, while Ralf Palik was .479 back in third.

Loch said he had an ''optimal day'' after recording his sixth straight win on his home course.

The German now has 590 points, 24 points clear of Austria's Wolfgang Kindl, who was fifth in the race.

Huefner completed the two runs in 1:23.006 to beat World Cup leader Natalie Geisenberger by .042 seconds for her 34th career win. Dajana Eitberger was third, .133 seconds behind.

Geisenberger grabbed the overall lead with 580 points, ahead of Summer Britcher of the United States with 571 and another American, Erin Hamlin, with 536. Hamlin was sixth in the race and Britcher eighth to lose the lead.