Alpine luge brings the 1964 Olympic track out of its slumber

Artificial track luge was first included in the program at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, and at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, the Olympic luge races were held for the first time on an artificial ice track. Over the past 50 years, nature has reclaimed the old "Heiligwasser" toboggan run. Parts of this historic track are being restored for the 2027 Alpine Luge Championships in Innsbruck/Igls. Gerald Kammerlander, Sports Director of Alpine Luge at the Austrian Luge Association (ÖRV), discusses this ambitious project.

How did the idea for a joint World Championship with artificial track and alpine luge come about? "The original idea came from ÖRV President Markus Prock. He said over a year ago that Igls would be a good place to host a joint World Championship. The last artificial track World Championship in Igls was in 2017, so 2027 would be a good date for a single, major World Championship."

Planning for the natural toboggan run has begun. When will we see the first races there? "The toboggan run is being built by the city of Innsbruck, so our influence is limited. However, we have incorporated our ideas and suggestions into the project. As of now, the project is still pending approval from the authorities. The nature conservation requirements have already been met, and we will begin laying the route in the fall so that it can be tackled in spring 2026 after the snow melts. Therefore, it is clear that there will be no dress rehearsal before the World Championships. To allow the athletes to prepare for the toboggan run, we will organize an international training week there before the World Championships."

The sketch of the track.

The track has an interesting history; it runs along the original 1964 Olympic track. How much of this old track is still there? "The original toboggan run from 1964 is still visible; the old starting house from back then, for example, is now a single-family home. We start very close by; in the upper section, the new run follows almost entirely the old route. The old run is still clearly visible through the old walls, even though everything is now overgrown. In the lower section, we follow the access road to the start of the artificial run parallel to the track. Overall, the new natural toboggan run largely uses the route of the over 60-year-old run."

Can you already guess the characteristics of the new track? Will it be fast, curvy, or technically challenging? "One thing is certain: the new track will definitely not be a high-speed track, as it's intended to be used as a recreational toboggan run before and after the races. At race speed, however, it's certainly technically challenging; it has everything needed for alpine tobogganing: hairpin bends, straights, and curves—it has everything that makes a cool alpine toboggan run."

There has never been a combined race between artificial track and alpine luge. So, what kind of signal does Innsbruck/Igls send? "What's truly unique is that we're actually in the same place. The artificial track and alpine luge use the same finish area in Igls, and the ice track and natural luge run end at the same location. Spectators can comfortably watch the races on both tracks; there's a shared medal plaza for the award ceremonies, and a shared opening ceremony. This brings the luge family closer together, because normally it's impossible for the lugers to attend a different race in the same location. There are already discussions about continuing this idea of joint title competitions, for example in Königssee (GER)."

The exact date for the 2027 joint Luge World Championships in Innsbruck/Igls has not yet been determined; the expected date is the end of January/beginning of February.

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Alpine luge brings the 1964 Olympic track out of its slumber

A premiere at the 2027 Luge World Championships in Innsbruck/Igls, Austria. For the first time, the artificial track and alpine luge championships will be held together. The old 1964 Olympic track will be restored from its former state of disuse for the Alpine Luge World Championships.

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