The picturesque Jaufental in the municipality of Ratschings/Racines (ITA) will be the scene of the 13th FIL Luge Junior World Championships on natural track from February 4th to 6th. Everything is prepared in the Jaufental for the first luge world championships in the history of the South Tyrolean Wipptal.

The village in Jaufental

The "Tonnerboden-track" in the luge center Jaufental remains the scene of the title fights for the juniors. After the European Championships in 2021, the 13th Junior World Championships in luge on natural track are on the program from February 4th to 6th, 2022. The "Tonnerboden-track" is the newest natural track venue in the entire racing calendar. Construction began in 2017. The track has an average gradient of 10.2% and is 658 meters long. At championships, the winners are chosen in three runs, and not in two runs as is usual in the World Cup. In the doubles there are two runs and not just one, as usual in the Junior World Cup. “We are looking forward to the title fights, the entire organizational team and many volunteers are passionate about it. It is important to us that the Junior World Championships here in the Jaufental are a first-class sports festival, we don't want to leave anything to chance," emphasizes OC boss Walter Volgger.

The trophies in Gold, Silver and Bronze

At the climax of the season, the defending champions - Lisa Walch (GER), Fabian Achenrainer (AUT) and Fabian Achenrainer/Simon Achenrainer (AUT) - are no longer eligible to start in the 15 to 20-year-old class for reasons of age. Among the medal-favorites are the overall winners of the Junior World Cup, Riccarda Ruetz (AUT), Daniel Gruber (ITA) and Anton Gruber Genetti/Hannes Unterholzner (ITA).

After the Junior European Championships in 2021, for the first time in the history of luge, a world championship will take place in the South Tyrolean Wipptal. The Jaufental looks back on a long luge-tradition: Peter Gschnitzer was a member of the Italian national team in artificial track luge in the 1970s and 1980s, at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid he won the silver medal in the doubles together with Karl Brunner. During his career from 1998 to 2010, Reinhold Rainer, took part in four Olympic Winter Games, won two World Cup races and finished the 2002/03 season in third place overall.

The 13th Junior World Championships 2022 in luge on natural track will take place from February 4th to 6th. After training on Friday, the new champions will be crowned on Saturday and Sunday.

The program of the 13th FIL Junior World Championships
Friday, 02/04/2022
9 a.m.: Nations training singles women/singles men/doubles (2 runs each)

Saturday, February 5th, 2022
9.30 a.m.: 1st race doubles
10.15 a.m.: Final race doubles, followed by flower ceremony and award ceremony
11:00 a.m.: 1st race single-seater women and single-seater men

Sunday, February 6th, 2022
9.30 a.m.: 2nd race single-seater women and single-seater men
11.30 a.m.: Final run singles women and singles men, followed by flower ceremony
1.30 p.m.: Award ceremony for singles women and singles men