Berlin (pps) Usually Olympic Games mean a turning point in every sport. Decorated athletes retire from their careers. Luge is different. Except the three-time Olympic champion Georg Hackl of Germany and three athletes from Austria, the stars of luge do not think of finishing. All 2006 Olympic champions - Sylke Otto (GER), Armin Zoeggeler (ITA) and Wolfgang Linger-Andreas Linger (AUT) - will continue for at least the next season.

Two-time Olympic champion Sylke Otto even underwent a shoulder surgery in order to start her farewell season without problems. During the operation in Munich, a piece of bone was shaped off and a bursa removed. “I want to become World champion again in 2007, that’s why I went through all this”, said the most successful women’s luger of all times. 36-year-old Silke Kraushaar, who completed her Olympic medal collection by winning silver in Torino (gold 1998, bronze 2002), is also seriously considering a start at the World Championships on her home track at Oberhof in 2008.

According to Italy’s head coach Walter Plaikner, Armin Zoeggeler, who achieved Olympic gold in Salt Lake City and Torino just like Sylke Otto, is even aiming at his fifth Olympic competition in Vancouver in 2010. Then aged 36, Zoeggeler would by far not be past it on steel runners.

The Austrian Federation has to cope with three retirements – and that a year prior to the 2007 World Championships at home in Innsbruck-Igls. Markus Kleinheinz, the 2003 overall Viessmann World Cup champion, Sonja Manzenreiter and Rainer Margreiter, both the 2003 World bronze medallists, all retired from their careers. Austria’s Olympic doubles champions Wolfgang and Andreas Linger, however, are planning to continue for the next four years, but want to shine first of all at home in Innsbruck-Igls in 2007.

The two brothers will then meet their US American competitors Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin. The two-time Olympic medal winners who celebrated their eleventh World Cup victory last season, also want to continue until 2010. Courtney Zablocki and Tony Benshoof, who both finished fourth in Torino, will remain on the US team until the next Winter Games in four years’ time in Canada.

Georg Hackl will also remain in luge. The 39-year-old legend has been integrated in the coaching team of the Bobsleigh and Luge Federation for Germany, BSD, and should take care of juniors who advanced to the B squad. “We would be stupid if we did not exploit Hackl’s know-how”, BSD managing director Stefan Krauss said. Hackl began his training at the Coaching Academy in Cologne last April.