Luge Family eagerly gazing towards London
Berchtesgaden (pps) The International Luge Family is gazing towards London. During the Executive Board Meeting of the International Olympic Committee in the 2012 Olympic host city on April 6th, its president Jacques Rogge will announce his decision regarding the inclusion of seven disciplines within the programme of Winter Games, among them the Team Relay of the International Luge Federation, which Rogge personally attended at the Viessmann Luge World Cup final in Sigulda, Latvia.
“We did everything in our power with regard to the Team Relay”, explained FIL President Josef Fendt in Berchtesgaden and referred to his “personal dialogue” with Rogge in Sigulda. Josef Fendt: “I believe I’ve been able to convince him that the technical slip-up at the Worlds in Cesana was not our fault and that it will not unfavorably affect the decision.” Due to technical problems that occurred during the 42nd FIL Luge World Championships in Cesana, the Team Relay event had to be cancelled. Fendt once more stresses the fact that the Team Relay would fit smoothly within the Olympic Programme and, moreover, would always generate very good TV ratings.
Rogge, who visited Riga following an invitation by the Latvia’s National Olympic Committee, combined this private visit with a side trip to Sigulda in order to get a personal impression of the Team Relay. Last autumn the IOC Executive Board gave Rogge the personal mandate to solely decide about the inclusion of seven additional disciplines within the programme of Olympic Winter Games. Apart from the Luge Team Relay these are the women’s ski jumping, ski halfpipe, snowboard and ski slopestyle, team competition figure skating, and mixed biathlon relay.
