It happens every 10 years: Olympic track at Innsbruck hosts the World Championships

Innsbruck (RWH) It happens again every 10 years: The Olympic channel of ice at Innsbruck once again is the scene where the World Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL) will take place. This seems to be something of an unwritten law of the FIL. Following this rule, 2017 will be the fifth time the FIL World Championships will make a stop at the artificial track at the base of Patscherkofel Mountain, just as it did in 1977, 1987, 1997, and 2007.

Innsbruck has garnered the resoundingly famous name of Olympic host throughout the world. It was the scene of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics, then followed by the very first Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012. Now consideration is being given to another application by Tyrol's capital city for 2026.

A long time ago, specifically in 1962, construction began on the Olympic tracks with the Winter Games in mind that were to occur two years later. Two separate artificial concrete tracks were built on the site where a bobsleigh track had existed for 30 years. In anticipation of the 1976 Olympic Winter Games, construction began in 1973/74 on the refrigerated track whereby the two separated tracks were removed and replaced by a combined luge, bobsleigh, and skeleton track. This effort was the first to enable all Olympic luge and bobsleigh competitions to be held on a single track. As the world's first combined track this sports facility has become the model for future refrigerated luge and bobsleigh tracks around the world.

The facility was continuously upgraded in the following years. In addition to the expansion of the Bob Cafe, 1981 brought the extension of the outrun by one more curve, then in 1990/91 the new women's start (curve five) was finished, after which a further extension of the finish outrun was completed. The 2007 World Championships were staged immediately following a general renovation of the refrigerated track that is now among the most modern in the world.

This latest edition of the world meet January 27-29 will bring the construction of additional grandstands in the finish area, countless family-friendly activities, and a comprehensive program of supporting events. The admission ticket will also be accepted as tickets for the trains in Tyrol run by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) as well as for local public transport.