Jonas Müller and his teammates had problems with homologation. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

Igls faces cancellation: Austria withdraws its luge team

The homologation of the rebuilt and renovated ice track in Innsbruck-Igls continues to cause headaches for those in charge. Now the Austrian Luge Federation (ÖRV) has withdrawn its athletes from the tests. The reason: the track is too dangerous. The World Cup is in jeopardy.

14 November 2025

From: dpa/nie

The new Luge World Cup season was scheduled to kick off in Igls on December 6th and 7th. However, reality currently seems a long way from this plan. Homologation had already taken place last Sunday and Monday. due to defects in curve 13 up to exit 14 Following the fact that the competition could not be carried out properly, the next setback came on Friday. "Our fears have unfortunately come true," said ÖRV President Markus Prock, who was informed by the Krone quoted. Since the risk of injury to the lugers was too great, Prock decided, after consulting with the coaching staff, to withdraw from the homologation.

"It's a disaster for the sport and the region. A lot of money was invested to renovate the track, and now it's unusable for us," he summarized the debacle. The reconstruction of the Olympic ice track had cost around 30 million euros, and even additional wooden barriers, which narrow curves 13 and 14, couldn't significantly improve the track's safety. Therefore, the approval of the lower section of the track is highly uncertain, and the staging of the planned World Cups from November 28th to 30th in bobsleigh and skeleton, as well as luge on December 6th and 7th, is in doubt.

Müller: "We can't force it."

“We all desperately want a home World Cup, but we can’t force it and we have to remain honest,” said former world champion Jonas Müller. Krone“Turns 13 and 14 pose too great a risk of injury. I shudder to think what would happen if I started from higher up and traveled at a higher speed.” The 28-year-old touched the barriers several times during his test run; after just one attempt, the three-time European champion's run was over.

ÖRV President Markus Prock (left) and FIL official Thomas Schwab. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

The test runs were started from the former women's starting point, meaning the lugers are traveling at a significantly lower speed than they would in the World Cup. Approval for the World Cup opener in early December rests with the track operator and the International Luge Federation (FIL). A decision is expected this weekend.

World Cup in Igls “irresponsible”?

“Leaded by Rene Friedl, we had an experienced five-person coaching team at the track to assess the situation as best as possible. Unfortunately, the feedback from Igls was not good. We will not expose our athletes to such a high risk of injury; that would be irresponsible,” said Austrian Cycling Federation (ÖRV) head coach Christian Eigentler. President Prock, however, cautioned: “A more significant intervention will likely be necessary now, which naturally raises many questions, especially given the very high investment involved.”

Can the World Cup take place in Igls? © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

Should major modifications to the facility actually become necessary as a result of this case, a legal dispute over the costs between the client and railway operator Olympiaworld and the German general planner is likely.