Istanbul (pps) With an impressive appeal FIL President Josef Fendt has warned against a reversal of the reforms within the International Luge Federation (FIL). “When I hear that there are attempts to change again the well-tested event format, with all its consequences, then I really and truly worry,” Fendt said in his report at the 61st FIL Congress in Istanbul, Turkey.
„This is why I appeal to the experience of all those responsible, to change well-tried rules only with the greatest caution. Particularly when those changes of rules will not mean progress but might rather bring about a step backwards,” explained Fendt. He reminded those present of the “unacceptably long World Cup events of the past years.” Fendt added: “We must not return to this kind of event. It would make our sport again unattractive for the public.”
In the 2003-2004 season the FIL had introduced – upon initiative of the FIL Executive Board – a qualifying event (Nations Cup) for the World Cup events so that the number of entries in the women’s and men’s singles as well as doubles was reduced and, consequently, the duration of the World Cup races drastically shortened as well. Since the 2004 FIL Congress in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) this reform has been legally fixed within the FIL rules and regulations.
That the sport of luge remains an Olympic sport is, according to Fendt, his “most important challenge“. The two-time World champion reminded all those present of the year 2007, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the sport of luge the status “key sports of the Olympic Program”. “It was an important decision for us. But we cannot rest on our laurels”, remarked the 65-year-old from Berchtesgaden, Germany.
Giving his perspectives, Fendt particularly addressed the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi (Russia) in 2014. We’ll have the opportunity to celebrate an anniversary in Sochi – for 50 years now we have been part of the Olympic Family. We’ve celebrated our premiere on the Olympic stage in Innsbruck in 1964,” remarked Fendt. “This is why it will be great to have a fourth discipline, the Team Relay Event, to make it’s debut at the “Anniversary Games”. “We are particularly looking forward to our competitions at the new Sliding Center Sochi,” said Fendt.
In his speech, die 1978 Olympic silver medalist also emphasized the situation of the sports venues. With only two exceptions – the 1984 Olympic track in Sarajevo, destroyed by war, and the one in Cesana – all artificially refrigerated tracks that were built since 1969 are still in use. The closing of the 2006 Olympic track in Italy, however, was not a consequence of a lack of use. The problems were with the “owners and politicians” as Fendt stressed. “I vehemently protest against the often used term of ‘sports ruins’ because it simply does not apply to our venues.”
