# Sascha Benecken

Sascha Benecken (born 14 February 1990) is a German luger who has competed since 1999. With his doubles partner Toni Eggert he has been world champion ten times and won the overall World Cup six times.

## Early life

His father was part of East Germany's junior national team in the Nordic Skiing. As a result, he took part in a play and sports group as early as kindergarten, from which he then switched to handball and in 1999, after a sighting in physical education, to luge. In February 2003, Sascha Benecken moved to the sports high school in Oberhof and to the boarding school there. In June 2009 he passed his Abitur and successfully applied to the federal police, where he completed his training in the middle police enforcement service to become a police master at the federal police sports school in Bad Endorf by October 2013.

## Junior Career

In the fall of 2005, Benecken qualified individually for three Youth A World Cups, all of which he was able to win. From then on he only competed in singles. He qualified for the Junior World Cup in 2006, although he was still eligible to start for youth A, and with his first Junior World Cup win on January 13, 2007 he made it to the Junior World Championships, where he finished sixth on the Olympic track in Cesana.
Benecken became part of the junior national team and won the overall junior world cup in 2008 and again fought for 6th place at the junior world championships at Lake Placid. In 2009 he was both Junior Vice World Champion and overall World Cup runner-up. On January 31, 2010 he won bronze at his fourth and last Junior World Championships in Innsbruck-Igls and thus recommended himself as a B squad qualifier for the German national luge team.
On the 22nd of August 2023, Benecken, in conjunction with his doubles collaborator Eggert, officially declared their retirement from active involvement in competitive sports.

## Luge results

All results are sourced from the International Luge Federation (FIL).

### World Cup

| Season | Doubles | Doubles | Doubles | Doubles | Doubles | Doubles | Doubles | Doubles | Doubles | Sprint | Sprint | Sprint | Sprint | Team relay | Team relay | Team relay | Team relay | Team relay | Team relay | Points | Overall | Doubles | Sprint |
| Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Points | Overall | Doubles | Sprint |
| 2010–11 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 516 | 4th | 4th | — |
| 2011–12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 630 | 3rd | 3rd | — |
| 2012–13 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 13 | — | — | — | — | – | – | – | – | – | – | 628 | 2nd | 2nd | — |
| 2013–14 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | — | — | — | — | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 630 | 2nd | 2nd | — |
| 2014–15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1071 | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| 2015–16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 7 | – | – | 1 | 4 | 962 | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd |
| 2016–17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 7 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | 1140 | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| 2017–18 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | DNF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | DSQ | 1 | 2 | 1170 | 1st | 1st | — |
| 2018–19 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | — | 2 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 2 | 1050 | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| 2019–20 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | — | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | 872 | 1st | 1st | 2nd |
| 2020–21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | – | CNX | 830 | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2021–22 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | DNF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | — | 7 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 2 | 907 | 1st | 1st | 2nd |
| 2022–23 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 955 | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd |