Year one after Zöggeler begins with something new

With the 2014/2015 season, the Sprint World Cup will be included in the competition program. The new format was adopted into the International Luge Regulations (IRO) by unanimous decision at the 62nd Congress of the International Luge Federation (FIL) in summer 2014. The FIL Sprint World Cup is officially on the program for the first time in the post-Olympic winter of 2014/2015 at three events, namely the opening stage next weekend in Igls, in December in Calgary and in February in Altenberg. In the Sprint World Cup, the decision is made in just one run; the timing begins with a flying start at the earliest 100 meters after the starting gate. Only the first 15 of the respective World Cup rankings are eligible to start. World Cup points are awarded in the same way as in conventional races and are included in the overall ranking.

A new era begins in luge but also from a different perspective. Like Zöggeler, record world champion and the only winter athlete to always win a medal in six Olympic starts, the Russian Albert Demchenko, who won three Olympic silver medals, and the two-time world champion and 2010 Olympic silver medalist David Möller from Germany also ended their careers. Together, the trio had won almost a third of all World Cups held so far since the premiere in 1977/1978. Zöggeler, with the Austrian Markus Prock also a record winner thanks to ten overall victories each, was on the highest podium a total of 57 times. In the future, many new faces will populate the men's podium in the World Cup, but everyone still has a long way to go before they reach these record numbers.

World Cup start next weekend in Igls with 13 South Tyroleans The starting signal for the new artificial track tobogganing World Cup winter will be given next week in Igls. The Italian squad for the first stage consists of a total of 13 athletes, all from South Tyrol. They are the doubles athletes Christian Oberstolz/Patrick Gruber, Ludwig Rieder/Patrick Rastner and the new members of the A-Team Florian Gruber/Simon Kainzwalder, as well as the singles athletes Dominik Fischneller, David Mair, Kevin Fischnelller and Emanuel Rieder. Junior Theo Gruber is also allowed to join the “big guys” in Igls for the first time. Two athletes, Sandra Robatscher and Andrea Vötter, are taking part in the women's competition. “The athletes are all in good shape, only Christian Oberstolz is currently struggling with severe back pain and is therefore only able to train to a limited extent at the moment,” said head coach Kurt Brugger when asked.

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Year one after Zöggeler begins with something new

A new era is beginning in luge racing. In the first year since record holder Armin Zöggeler announced his retirement in the fall, the International Luge Federation is introducing a new discipline. This is already on the program next week at the opening stage in Igls.

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