Altenberg (pps) After the conclusion of the World Championship festival in Thuringia with more than 17,000 spectators, there will be no everyday drudgery. One week after the end of the 40th FIL Luge World Championships in Oberhof, the next anniversary is looming right around the corner. The modernised artificial track in Saxony will host the 200th World Cup event in the history of the International Luge Federation, FIL, on Saturday and Sunday. Viessmann are title sponsors of the luge World Cup since the winter of 1996-1997.

It all began on December 3-4, 1977 on the first international artificially-iced track in Koenigssee. The first World Cup winners were Andrea Fendt of the Federal Republic of Germany in the women’s singles as well as Italy’s Paul Hildgartner in the men’s singles as well as Peter Gschnitzer-Karl Brunner in the doubles’ event. Since that time the World Cup series was carried out on three continents (Europe, Asia and North America) on a total of 19 tracks in 13 different countries. Record venue is Koenigssee with 27 World Cup events so far. Altenberg will organise its 17th World Cup event next weekend.

As of February 11, the facility at the Kohlgrund area will belong to the bobsleigh and skeleton athletes. Until February 24, they will fight for altogether six World Championship titles (two-man and four-man bobsled, women’s bobsled, men’s and women’s skeleton, team event). For the third time after 1991 and 2000, Altenberg in Saxony will host World Championships of the FIBT, Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et Tobogganing. In 1996, Altenberg also carried out Luge World Championships.