The anniversary World Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL) will be held in 2021 in Calgary, Canada. The
65th Congress of the International Luge Federation in Constanța, Romania, awarded the 50th title races to the host track of the 1988 Olympics.
Calgary prevailed by 20 votes to 15 in a crucial vote against the artificial ice track in Oberhof (GER). Calgary will therefore host the FIL World Championships for the fourth time, having previously
staged the 1990, 1993 and 2001 events. In the coming winter, the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in Korea will highlight the season for the international luge elite.
In subsequent years, the FIL World Championships will take place in Winterberg, Germany (2019) and Sochi, Russia (2020). After the title races in Calgary in 2021, the Winter Olympics will come around once again, this time awarded to Beijing by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Overview of future FIL Championships
2018 XXIII Winter Olympic Games- PyeongChang KOR
2019 48th FIL World Championships- Winterberg GER
2020 49th FIL World Championships- Sochi RUS
2021 50th FIL World Championships- Calgary CAN
2022 XXIV Winter Olympic Games- Beijing CHN
Calgary track gets $10-million funding for refurbishing
The ice track at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary will be upgraded and modernized in spring 2018. As Canadian media announced, the track will receive $10-million in funding from the Alberta provincial government for upgrades, i.e. to the refrigeration system. According to calgary.ctvnews.ca, the track will also get some new lighting and shading and the actual length of the
new track will be slightly shorter.
The Calgary ice track was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. In the past 30 years, Calgary hosted three FIL World Championships, most recently in 2001, and was venue for various Viessmann World Cups and Junior World Cups.
Luge races scheduled in first week of Olympic events
The four luge races at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Korea, are all scheduled for the first week of events. The men’s medals will be awarded after four runs on February 11, 2018, while the women’s medals will be decided after four runs on February 13. On February 14, the winners in the doubles event will be awarded their medals after two runs. The final event and highlight of the Olympic luge races will be the competition to win the team relay on February 15, 2018.
Schedule- Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang (Korea)
10 February 2018: 1st and 2nd runs in the men’s event 11.10 a.m. (CET)
11 February 2018: 3rd and 4th runs in the men’s event 10.50 a.m. (CET)
12 February 2018: 1st and 2nd runs in the women’s event 11.50 a.m. (CET)
13 February 2018: 3rd and 4th runs in the women’s event 11.30 a.m. (CET)
14 February 2018: 1st and 2nd runs in the doubles events 12.20 p.m. (CET)
15 February 2018: Team relay 1.30 p.m. (CET)
2020 Junior World Championships move to Innsbruck
Originally due to be held on the new artificial track in Bludenz, the 2020 Junior World Championships will now take place in Innsbruck. The move was announced by the CEO of the Austrian Luge Federation (ÖRV), Reinhard Poller, when asked about the event in Innsbruck.
The championships had to be moved to the Olympic track as construction of the track in Vorarlberg has been delayed by another year. The decision to hold the event in Bludenz was passed at the 2016 Congress in Lake Placid (USA) on the condition that a Junior World Cup would be held one year prior to the Junior World Championships. Due to construction delays, this requirement can no longer be met either.
Umhausen to host Natural Track Championships in 2021
Umhausen in Austria will host the World Luge Natural Track Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL) in 2021. The municipality in the district of Imst received the nod at the 65th FIL Congress in Constanţa, Romania. Umhausen, which has approximately 3,200 inhabitants, last hosted the FIL World Luge Natural Track Championships in 2011.
Dr Martin Gruber appointed Chairman of the Natural Track Commission
The Natural Track Commission has undergone a change in administration. Dr Martin Gruber of Italy was appointed as the commission’s new chairman at the spring meeting of the Executive Board of the International Luge Federation (FIL) in the Canadian city of Calgary. Reorganization was required following the resignation of previous chairman, Josef Ploner of Italy.
Florian Batkowski and Karl Flacher (both AUT) remain on the Natural Track Commission.
Atis Strenga to Chair the Jury at PyeongChang Games
Atis Strenga of Latvia has been appointed as the chairman of the jury for decisions concerning the luge contests at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang (KOR).
He was named in a decision by the Executive Board of the International Luge Federation (FIL) at their spring meeting in the Canadian city of Calgary. He will be joined on the jury by Stefan Riegel of Germany and Mark Grimmette, currently the Sports’ Program Director for the US Luge Association but also a former Olympic silver (2002) and bronze (1998) medallist with his partner Brian Martin. The FIL’s Technical Director Christian Eigentler
(AUT) is joined by Switzerland’s Reto Gilly and host country
Korea’s Shin Sungsik to form the technical delegate.