With preparations now complete and all internal team selectionsfinalised, it is time for the new luge winter season to get underway. The Viessmann WorldCup season opener is due to be staged on the Olympic track in Innsbruck, one of the mostprestigious venues of all. The event on the labyrinthine ice track at the foot of thePatscherkofel will also be a dress rehearsal for the 47th International Luge Federation(FIL) World Championships in 2017. Innsbruck is set to stage the FIL championships for afifth time, in keeping with a ten-year cycle (1977, 1987, 1997 and 2007).
More than 150 athletes from a total of 25 nations (ARG, AUS, AUT, BEL, BIH, BRA, BUL,CAN, CRO, CZE, GBR, GER, ITA, JPN, KOR, LAT, POL, ROU, RUS, SLO, SUI, SVK,TPE, UKR, USA) registered over a year in advance for the 39th World Cup season sincethe inaugural event back in 1977/1978. Viessmann has been the main and title sponsor ofthe Luge World Cup since the winter of 1996/1997.
The defending champions in the Viessmann World Cup are Natalie Geisenberger, FelixLoch and Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken (all GER). This season’s schedule includes nineViessmann World Cup in six countries, with the season highlight being the 46th FIL WorldChampionships in Königssee from 29 to 31 January 2016.
FIL to provide live-streaming of all Viessmann World Cups and WorldChampionships for the first time
Berchtesgaden (RWH) The International Luge Federation (FIL) will provide on its website(www.fil-luge.org) live-streaming of all Viessmann World Cups and the WorldChampionships next season, in addition to the tried and tested television coverage. "I amdelighted that we are able to provide a service that has been much requested, and whichrepresents a significant step forward in terms of the media coverage of our sport,"explained FIL President Josef Fendt. Fendt went on to say that live streaming withEnglish-language commentary will be available all over the world with the exception ofGermany and Italy
ÖRV collected 19 Olympic medals
Innsbruck (RWH) Only the Austrian Ski Federation and figure skaters have collected moremedals at the Olympics than Austria’s lugers. The members of the Austrian Luge Federation(ÖRV) have won a total of 19 medals since the introduction of the sport at the 1964 WinterOlympic Games on home ground in Innsbruck. Five of those medals were gold, and therewere seven each in silver and bronze. Most recently, two-time Olympic Champions AndreasLinger/Wolfgang Linger won silver in the men’s doubles in Sochi (RUS) at the culmination oftheir outstanding career.
This places the ÖRV third in the Austrian Olympic medals table behind the ski federation andthe figure skating association, although the figure skaters’ last medal was back in 1972. Thewinners of the five Olympic gold medals for the ÖRV are Josef Feistmantl/Manfred Stengl(1964), Manfred Schmidt (1968), Doris Neuner (1992), and Andreas Linger/Wolfgang Linger(2006 and 2010).
Julia Taubitz, Ralf Palik and a shared place Germany’s line-up
Berchtesgaden (RWH) German head coach Norbert Loch has announced his team for thenew luge winter season following the internal selection process. Junior athlete Julia Taubitzwill compete for the German federation (BSD) along with Ralf Palik, while Chris Eißler andJulian von Schleinitz will share a place in the starting line-up. Eißler will take part in the seasonopener of the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Innsbruck (28/29 November 2015) and later on inthe season in Calgary (CAN), while three-time Junior World Champion von Schleinitz gets his
chance in Lake Placid and Park City (both USA).
The BSD team will be led by Olympic Champions Natalie Geisenberger, Felix Loch and TobiasWendl/Tobias Arlt. Tatjana Hüfner, the 2010 Olympic Champion, was also called up along withfour-time World Champion and reigning European Champion Dajana Eitberger. AndiLangenhan and Johannes Ludwig have been selected for the men’s World Cup team. ToniEggert/Sascha Benecken, defending champions in the Viessmann Luge World Cup, completethe German doubles team alongside Robin Geueke/David Gamm.
FIL media guide available online
Berchtesgaden (RWH) The media guide issued by the International Luge Federation (FIL)for the 2015/2016 season includes detailed information about the structure and history ofthe FIL, all events, complete statistics and biographies of the athletes, and is now availableon the FIL website (www.fil-luge.org).
Only front-runner Königssee has hosted more World Cups than Innsbruck
Innsbruck (RWH) The Olympic track in Innsbruck is set to host a Viessmann World Cupfor the 34th time. Only Königssee, the world’s oldest artificial ice track, has hosted the lugemore frequently, with 36 events since the World Cup made its debut in the winter of1977/1978. The only artificial ice track in Austria is built on historic ground. In the run-up tothe Winter Olympics of 1976, it was constructed on the very site at the foot of the
Patscherkofel where the luge celebrated its Olympic debut on a traditional natural ice trackback in 1964.
Innsbruck, which is due to host the 47th International Luge Federation (FIL) WorldChampionships in 2017, has hosted the Olympic Games on three occasions: on theoriginal natural track in 1964, and in 1976 on the artificial track later erected on the samesite in the Tyrolean capital. In 2012, Innsbruck was then home to the inaugural Youth
Olympic Games (YOG). On top of that, the labyrinthine track in Innsbruck has staged theInternational Luge Federation (FIL) World Championships on four previous occasions(1977, 1987, 1997 and 2007).
Ahead of the new winter season, the heritage track, which is also due to host theBobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships organised by sister association IBSF, isonce again set to shine, having undergone a few minor changes. Spectators will have abetter view of the on-track action from the newly levelled Kreisel curve, while two videowalls will be available for the first time, with a new screen at the men’s start house addedto the original one on the finishing curve. For the first time at the Viessmann World Cup, achildcare facility will be provided at the finishing curve.
Time Table of Innsbruck
Saturday, 28. 11.2015 1st run Women 10:00
2nd run Women 11:00
1st run Doubles 13:00
2nd run Doubles 14:20
Sonntag, 29. Nov. 15
1st run Men 10:15
2nd run Men 11:50
Team Realy 14:10
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