On the longest track in the world, Johannes Ludwig is still two perfect runs away from the greatest triumph of his career.

Halfway through the Olympic luge competition, the Thuringian is on course for gold, after two out of four runs he is 0.039 seconds ahead of Austria's former world champion Wolfgang Kindl.

The three-time Olympic champion Felix Loch still has a good chance of bronze after a mistake in the first round in fourth place, Max Langenhan is seventh.

"Everything is always included.

Tomorrow starts a new race for me.

The distance to Wolfgang is actually no distance.

I have to keep attacking, I can't rest on my laurels," said Ludwig and revealed his gold plan: "In the end, the distances don't play a big role.

I just have to do my job.

That sounds trite, but that’s how it is as a competitive athlete.”

Ludwig made it clear after the first paddle strokes at the start that you have to defeat him for Olympic gold.

The 35-year-old oldest participant in the men's field first broke the start record of the Russian Semen Pavlitschenko in 2.445 seconds, then beat his own track record to 57.063 seconds.

In the second round, however, Kindl was slightly faster than Ludwig despite a driving error.

"The goal is a medal"

Olympic gold in the individual – Ludwig already won team gold in 2018 – would possibly bring a crowning end to his career.

It would also fit the strong season of the two-time World Relay Champion, who had already secured his first career overall World Cup win.

Ludwig had already revealed his plan for Beijing in advance: "I approach a new race every day, nothing helps, you always have to be aggressive."

Team colleague Loch had to learn bitterly that the longest track in the world at 1583 meters does not forgive any mistakes. In the first round, the two-time individual Olympic champion failed, especially at the start and was more than 0.3 seconds behind Ludwig. A huge mortgage in tobogganing. But the man from Berchtesgaden improved in the second round and improved from fifth to fourth place. “Third place is possible. The goal is a medal, I'll attack fully," emphasized Loch.

Bronze is up for Loch, separated by 0.078 seconds from third-placed Italian Dominik Fischnaller.

However, the protégé of Italy's luge legend Armin Zöggeler has so far performed well on the treacherous track, especially in the lower part with curves 13 and 14, and has hardly made a mistake.

"It's going to be a tough fight with Dominik, I need two clean runs," said the 32-year-old.

Max Langenhan will no longer have anything to do with awarding medals.

However, an increase in the second run should have encouraged the athletes of the BRC 05 Friedrichroda.

Despite two small barriers, Langenhan improved by two positions to seventh place and is well ahead of Pyeongchang Olympic champion David Gleirscher from Austria, who was only eighth.