Team Relay Event one step closer to Olympic Games
Acapulco (pps) The luge Team Relay Event is now one step closer to being included within the Olympic Programme. Even though the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee, IOC, postponed a final decision with regard to its inclusion, it gave IOC President Jacques Rogge the personal mandate to make the final ruling himself in spring 2011.
As announced by the IOC during a press conference in Acapulco, this decision will probably be taken at the end of April 2011. According to the IOC press release, key positive factors included universality, gender equity as well as youth appeal of these disciplines at the upcoming World Championships this winter.
The format of the Team Relay Event as proposed by the International Luge Federation, FIL, with one woman’s and men’s singles as well as a double-seater, the regular participation of twelve nations in the past winter season and the staging of a spectacular event all comply with these IOC criteria. Additionally, the Team Relay Event has been an integral part of FIL World and European Luge Championships since 2008 and will be part of the Viessmann Luge World Cup series in the upcoming winter.
„It’s up to us now. We have it in our hands to convince IOC President Rogge of our innovative concept. We need to do our homework now,” explained FIL President Josef Fendt in a first reaction.
Similarly, the disciplines women’s ski jumping, ski halfpipe, snowboard and ski slopestyle as well as mixed relay in biathlon are still waiting for a final decision with regard to their inclusion within the programme of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The team event in Alpine skiing was rejected.
