Berchtesgaden (RWH) A new era has begun in the sport of luge. In the first year after the retirement this autumn of record-breaking luger Armin Zöggeler, the International Luge Federation (FIL) has introduced a new discipline. The Sprint World Cup will be on the official agenda of THREE events for the first time in the post-Olympic winter of 2014-2015. With this move, the international federation and its president Josef Fendt, who was confirmed in office for the fifth time in succession at the 62nd FIL Conference in the summer of 2014, are complying with the wishes of a large number of athletes who have called for additional races. The FIL Sprint World Cup will be decided in just one run. Athletes will use the traditional, flying start, with the clock starting at the 100 meter mark from the start block. Only the first 15 in the World Cup ranking are entitled to compete. The Sprint World Cup will close the three race weekends in Igls, Calgary and Altenberg. After its brilliant debut in the 2014 Olympics, the Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW will be showcased at six events in the coming season. The nine Viessmann World Cups will be raced in six countries on two continents in the 2014-2015 season. Italy’s Armin Zöggeler, who ended an unrivalled career with a record 57 individual World Cup victories to his name, was also first in the overall rankings 10 times. He holds a record six World Championship titles and is the only winter sportsman to collect a medal in each of his six Olympic appearances (gold in 2002 and 2006, silver in 1998 and bronze in 1994, 2010 and 2014). Two other athletes of note have also ended their careers: Russia’s Albert Demchenko, who won 15 Viessmann World Cups and three Olympic silver medals, and two-time World Champion David Möller of Germany, who has 10 World Cup victories and an Olympic silver medal to his name. Together, this trio has won almost a third of all of the World Cup races held since its debut in 1977-1978, another reason to consider a new era to have begun in the sport of luge.