In the first team event ever held in World Championships Italy I was the luckier one at the end. In a thrilling race Italy I and Austria II ended up with 86 points each. So the total time had to decide and the Italians with Anton Blasbichler, Sonja Steinacher and Armin and david Mair had been the faster ones. The real losers of the day was the team Austria I. In the double race Reinhard Beer injured himself even though they had not even a fall. They touched the rails and Beer´s left arm broke. He had to be taken to hospital. So he and his double partner Herbert Kögl, second in last year´s World Championships and current leaders in the RED BULL World Cup, won´t be able to take part in tomorrow´s doubleseater race. Bad luck also for local hero Ferdinand Hirzegger, who could have won his first title today: he, too, was in the team Austria I.

While on the track the athletes race for medals, important things also happened next to the track. Gian Franco Kasper, president of the union of the seven Olympic Winter Sport Federations and IOC vice-president Thomas Bach had visited Stein/Enns. The decision whether Natural Track Luge will become member of the Olympic Family is going into its last stage. In a press conference Bach stated that “so far the FIL has done everything right.” There are still some unsolved problems, like the big gap in performance between the traditional luge nations like Italy and Austria and the new comers like the Canadians or the Scandinavian countries. However, one of the most important things will be the support from Torino, host of the 2006 Games. “It would be ideal to find a second sport to share the finish area in Torino, to reduce the costs of infrastructure”, is another hint from Bach. Basically he believes that everything is developing into the correct direction. He expects a decision “around the Games of Salt Lake. 2001 will be a busy year for the IOC with elections and the decision where to the 2008 Games will go.”

In the RED BULL World Cup another change had to be made: the parallel event, which should have been held in Triesenberg (LIE) had to be cancelled again. Now the race will be held at the same date (Thursday, January 26th) at Witschenau in Tyrol (AUT):

Final Result Team Event:

1. Italy I: Armin MAIR/David MAIR, 1:23.15 (1/30), Sonja STEINACHER, 1:18.22 (2/29), Anton BLASBICHLER, 1:16.97 (4/27); 3:58.34 (86)
2. Austria II: Peter LECHNER/Peter BRAUNEGGER, 1:23.54 (2/28), Marlies WAGNER, 1:19.89 (3/28), Gerhard PILZ, 1:15.93 (1/30); 3:59.36 (86)
3. Italy II: Thomas GRAF/Michael GRAF, 1:24.82 (4/24), Renate GIETL, 1:18.11 (1/30), Martin GRUBER, 1:16.29 (2/29); 3:59.22 (83)
4. Poland: Andrzej LASZCZAK/Damian WANICZEK, 1:23.59 (3/26), Magdalena HULA, 1:21.90 (5/26), Damian WANICZEK, 1:20.82 (5/26); 4:06.31

Chris Karl
FIL Media Service