World Cup natural track luge 2011/12
When the stars of World Cup on natural track get together in Latzfons in Italy on December 16th, 2011, World Cup on natural track starts into its 20th season. At the press conference on November 29th, the President of the International Luge Federation, Josef Fendt, talked about the upcoming season and its innovations:
In Latzfons (ITA) a new format of competition will be tested. The first training will take place as usual: Athletes who do not qualify for World Cup will compete in the Nations Cup that will consist of one separate run. This run will take place right before or after the World Cup competition. FIL’s expectations about the competition: “First of all, we want to try out new formats without saying in advance that they won’t work. You have to be mindful – in every department – and select afterwards”, Josef Fendt, president of the FIL explains. Christoph Schweiger, Executive Director of the FIL added, “The most important thing is that these changes will make the World Cup more interesting and more attractive – for athletes, audience and media.”
World Cup series 2011/12
After the first event in Latzfons the next World Cup races will take place in Olang in the middle of January. In January there will also be competitions in Zelezniki (SLO) – the last World Cup races took place in Slovenia in February 2008 – and in Deutschnofen (ITA) – organizer of the World Championships in 2013. The fifth World Cup race will take place in Novouralsk (RUS), the final race of the World Cup season 2011/12 will be hosted by Umhausen (AUT) where the last World Championships took place in February 2011. From March 2nd - 4th, 2012, the athletes will race for the last World Cup points for the overall World Cup and for the highly coveted crystal globes.
European Championships at the Urals
Novouralsk was not only chosen as organizer of a World Cup competition for the season 2011/12, Novouralsk is also host of the FIL European Championships that will take place after the World Cup event from February, 17th -19th, 2012. Additionally to the six World Cup races and the European Championships in Novouralsk there is one more important event: FIL World Junior Championships in Latsch (ITA) from February 2nd - 5th, 2012.
The perspective for 2013: There will be World Cup competitions on artificial and also on natural track in Sochi (RUS) in the season 2012/13 at the same weekend. The advantages of connecting these events: Audience as well as media will have the chance to watch both competitions without any additional expenses. “Our aim is that natural track and artificial track benefit from each other”, Herbert Wurzer, Vice-President of the FIL and World Cup coordinator for natural track, explained at the press conference.
