Calgary (FIL) For the first time, a Congress of the International Luge Federation (FIL) will take place in Calgary (Canada). The agenda of the 56th edition of the FIL’s annual meeting on June 27/28, 2008, includes several changes to the International Luge Regulations (IRO), the election of the new chairperson of the Sport Commission, and the awarding of the 2012 World Championships. Furthermore, the annual meeting of the organizers of FIL competitions artificial track will be held in the 1988 Olympic city on June 29.

Sepp Benz from Switzerland will be the only candidate for the election of the chairperson of the Sport Commission; after the death of the commission’s longtime chairman Karl Zenker in the summer of 2007, he was appointed by the FIL Executive Board as his temporary successor. There are two bids to host the 2012 FIL World Championships artificial track. Applications have been submitted by the bobsleigh and luge track in Altenberg (GER) and the track in Whistler, Canada, where the luge competitions as part of the XXI. Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver will be held in 2010.

Altenberg already hosted Luge World Championships in 1996 in addition to being venue of the 1991, 2000 and 2008 bobsleigh and skeleton World Championships. The facility was built in the eighties and was recently extensively renovated for approximately four million Euros.

The Canadian track located at Whistler Sliding Center was completed during the past winter. During the next season, it will see its baptism of fire at the Viessmann World Cup at the end of February.