Torino / Cesana-Pariol, Italy (pps) After the official opening, the athletes were enthusiastic about the new artificially-iced bobsleigh and luge track for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. “A great track: demanding and fast”, Italy’s 2002 Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler said. He had the honour of being the first luger to slide down the track at Cesana, about 90km north of the 2006 Olympic city. Zoeggeler continued: ”You have to concentrate very hard at a few spots, otherwise you lose a lot of time.“
Germany’s reigning World champion Silke Kraushaar was of almost the same opinion. “The track is fast and it is fun to slide. It is not really very difficult, but it will be difficult to achieve a good time. You must find the perfect line in some passages, otherwise you are out”, the 1998 Olympic champion disclosed.
The USA’s 1998 Olympic bronze and 2002 silver medallists, Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin, were very sceptical at first. “When we saw the track for the first time, we thought: How on earth are we going to get down here? But after the first run we found out that the track demands full concentration, but that it is not too difficult. Certain passages you have to drive perfectly, otherwise you don’t stand a chance.” Austria’s 2003 doubles World champions Andreas and Wolfgang Linger, said: “At first you think, Oh my God, but then you quickly realise: the track is demanding, but it is not impossible to get to the finish.”

The new Olympic track which was homologated by the International Luge Federation, FIL, last week, will experience its baptism of fire with the finale of the Viessmann Luge World Cup on February 5-6.