FIL at the 47th Forum Nordicum: Taubitz, Fogelis and Böhmer in Dialogue with 100 Sports Journalists

The International Luge Federation FIL was among the most prominent guests at the 47th Forum Nordicum in Nové Město na Moravě — the long-established annual gathering for international winter sports journalists.

On Tuesday, October 20, FIL President Einars Fogelis addressed approximately 100 media representatives in an open, wide-ranging conversation that offered a rare glimpse into the sheer pace of FIL’s off-season. Since the closing ceremony in Cortina, the FIL delegation had been on the road to Asia — Pyeongchang and Yanqing — where long-term cooperation agreements were signed with China and Korea. North America followed: meetings with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee in Colorado Springs and a visit to Utah Olympic Park. Before all of that came the FIL Congress in Berchtesgaden, where the federation adopted its strategic

framework “We Slide Forward 2034,” elected new leadership and unveiled a new brand identity — alongside the renewal of existing sponsorship partnerships and the addition of a new partner to the FIL family. Weeks and months on the road for Fogelis (and also Secretary General Dwight Bell): the media appearance in the Czech Republic was the latest stop on a very long list for now. The Forum Nordicum itself has grown in recent years into a genuine crossroads for all winter sports federations. Joining FIL at the event were FIS, IBSF and IBU, as well as FIL partner Hargassner among others.

FIL Sport Director Matthias Böhmer then walked the room through the highlights of the 50th World Cup season: the return of Königssee, the world-first double World Championships in both Olympic and Alpine luge at Innsbruck-Tirol, and the key rule changes under IRO 2026 — among them the new Super Slide Mode at the Oberhof World Cup in January.

The moment that drew the strongest response from the assembled international media was a live link to Sigulda, where Julia Taubitz — Olympic champion from Cortina 2026 — joined the Forum from the rack between training runs, already deep into her preparation for the new season. The overall World Cup winner and the most successful luge athlete of her generation came across as relaxed and composed, but focused and fiercely motivated. “It feels different, starting a season after Olympic gold,” Taubitz said. “My goal is to enjoy myself and take every run as it comes. But of course I still have ambitions. I’m looking forward to the World Championships in Innsbruck-Tirol, to the World Cup in Cortina, to the one in La Plagne and to the season finale at Königssee, my favorite track.” Asked whether she would be lining up at the 2030 Winter Olympics, she was measured: “I can’t answer that right now. The 2028 World Championships in Königssee are a big target — and then we’ll see.” On the new Super Slide Mode, she was candid and curious: “I like the idea. It brings a different dynamic to the sport, and I can’t wait to see what it actually feels like on the ice.” When the conversation turned to her social media presence — more than 40,000 followers on Instagram — Taubitz drew a clear line between the two worlds of modern sports communication: “The journalists turn a good result into a story, and that moves the whole sport forward. And my social media has become part of my job — Instagram is my direct line to the fans. You need both. One without the other doesn’t work.”

Thorsten vom Wege, organizer of the Forum Nordicum, summed up the partnership with warmth: “It is not the first time that FIL has enriched the Forum Nordicum with its content and insights. We are very pleased about the strong partnership that has developed over recent years, and we look ahead with the hope that it will continue to grow.”

For FIL, the appearance at the 47th Forum Nordicum reaffirms what Einars Fogelis has consistently demonstrated: that the work in the media room matters as much as the work on the ice — and that an Olympic champion, live from the track in Sigulda, is the most compelling argument of all.
 

from right: Thorsten vom Wege, Matthias Böhmer, Einars Fogelis, FIL Communications Manager Egon Theiner (c) Forum Nordicum