It is a special construction within the International Luge Federation (FIL) that due to the non existence of a European Federation the FIL is also in charge of conducting the continental Championships in Europe. Thus the upcoming European Championships in Olang will be the most prestigious event of the season. FIL president Josef Fendt will be in Olang/Valdaora and welcome a delegation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) consisting of Christophe Dubi, Jean-Laurent Bourquin, René Fasel und Horst Lichtner. The mission of their visit is to have a close look at the natural track luge sport.

What they will see is that there will for sure be a new European Champion in the women´s event, as reigning Champion Christa Gietl (ITA) has retired. Her sister Renate is a strong medal contender as well as Ekatharina Lavrentjeva (RUS), whose 5th place in the last European Championships was her worst result within two years. She will fight hard to leave Olang with a medal this time. Melanie Batkowski (AUT) just became World Junior Champion for the second time, so she will be highly motivated also to win a medal in the adult competition.

Patrick Pigneter has been the dominating athlete in the men´s event for the past two winters, but the reigning World as well as European Champion is the Austrian Gernot Schwab, who seems to perform best at Championships. Also this season he has improved his results from race to race and in Umhausen was back on top of the podium. Anton Blasbichler (ITA) has won two European titles already (1993 in Stein/Enns, AUT and 1999 in Szczyrk, POL) and he finished second in the season opening race, but within the strong Italian team he will have to fight hard to qualify for one of the six spots.

The double´s event has always been the less predictable with so many top athletes equally likely to win. But this was before Patrick Pigneter/Florian Clara (ITA) became serial winners. In this season so far they have not been beaten. But their team mates Thomas Weiss/Andreas Leiter will come to Olang/Valdaora as the new World Junior Champions and will be ready to challenge them. In the World Cup they have not been competing this season, because of the injury Andreas Leiter has suffered just before the start of the World Cup season. However, the European title has been in Russia´s possession for four years now thanks to Pawel Porschnev/Ivan Lazarev, who have won in Hüttau 2004 as well as in Umhausen 2006.