CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Germany's Max Langenhan got the Olympic luge competition off to a spectacular start on Saturday when he scorched to a track record with the first run of the men's singles, then watched his 24 rivals try and fail to match him.
Langenhan, the double reigning world champion, was the only man to break 53 seconds in the week's practice runs and took that form into the first of four competition runs with a time of 52.924 seconds.
Austria's former world champion Jonas Mueller was the only other man under 53 seconds, with home hope Dominik Fischnaller, the bronze medallist four years ago, third-fastest.
Germany's Felix Loch, who won gold in 2010 and 2014 and is the current World Cup leader, blasted out to set a start record, but fell back to finish ninth.
The second run will take place later on Saturday with two more on Sunday, when the aggregate of the four times will decide the medals.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips; Editing by Alison Williams)
