FIL mourns the death of Josef Thaler

Brunico (FIL) The International Luge Federation, FIL, mourns the death of its sports friend and long-time member of the FIL Natural Track Commission Josef Thaler. 

The 81-year-old former commander of the Brunico Municipal Police passed away on Monday, May 17, 2021. He would have celebrated his 82nd birthday on June 1st.

Josef Thaler was for many years the person responsible for natural track sport in Italy and a member of the FIL Natural Track Commission. As representative of Italy, he, Werner Kropsch (Chairman of the Natural Track Commission) and Herbert Wurzer (representative of the Austrian Luge Federation) prepared the introduction of the World Cup on natural track in 1991. The responsible persons were able to convince the FIL Congress about the race series and thus the World Cup was introduced in the 1992/93 season.

After the specialisation of natural track (in Technical Commission and Sports Commission), Josef Thaler represented the nation of Italy in the Sports Commission. Thaler did not stand for election to the commissions in 2014. In the last decades, Josef Thaler exercised many functions in the Jury or as Technical Delegate at FIL Championships and Natural Track World Cup.

FIL President Einars Fogelis expresses his condolences: "We hold Josef in our hearts and wish the family, especially his wife Elsa and the children and grandchildren a lot of strength".

Photo from Kandalaksha/RUS 2005 f.l. Herbert Wurzer, Gennady Rodionov, Mayor of Kandalaksha, Harald Steyrer and Josef Thaler