Sochi (pps) The reactions of the international luge elite after their first rendezvous with the future Olympic track of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games at the “Sliding Center Sanki” in Sochi (Russia) were almost without exception positive. The upcoming Olympic track, named “Sanki Sliding Center”, runs through the northern slope of the Aibga Ridge, which is protected against direct sunlight, in the village of Krasnaya Polyana. The total length of the track is 1814 meters, 314 meters of which is the braking zone. The track reflects, to the greatest possible extent, the existing relief in the locality. The athletes' security is ensured by a radius of turns and three upward slopes, which help to put the brakes on the competitors' speed. Quotes Tatjana Huefner (Germany / 2010 Olympic and four-time World champion) “I like the track very much. It is a fine but difficult track. Even though there’s still a big building site all around it’s rather obvious that there’s a lot of progress. It would be very nice to have rest rooms near the women’s start at the World Cup in February 2013.” Felix Loch (Germany / 2010 Olympic and three-time World champion) “The track is in a surprisingly good condition. I think it’s a great track and it can be negotiated by all athletes because not every mistake is punished right away or ends in a crash. I believe that in the future the track will be on the World Cup program regularly and will see World Championships. When everything is completed the visual impact of the venue will surely be great.” Armin Zoeggeler (Italy / two-time Olympic and six-time World champion) “It’s a great track with a particular character. The track in Sochi combines the different traits of tracks such as Cesana, Nagano and Whistler. This is why it’s unique. In some sections of the track it’s like on a roller-coaster – up and down and up again and then down once more. You need to keep the speed going up because otherwise it’ll be too difficult to set a good time.” Andreas Linger (Austria / two-time Olympic and three-time World doubles’ champion together with his brother Wolfgang) “It’s a very interesting track. That’s for sure. And there are some demanding sections. Compared to the tracks of the past two Olympic Games it’s a quote unquote ‘normal’ track. So far I haven’t seen any sections that could be compared to the risky parts of the 2006 Turin or 2010 Vancouver tracks. After the pressure point all curves are opening up, without another pressure point already waiting...” Andris Sics (Latvia / 2010 Olympic bronze medalist in the doubles‘ together with his brother Juris) “We like the track a lot. Well, we liked the Olympic tracks in Turin and Vancouver, too. Here in Sochi the entrances as well as the curves are long so that you need to really control the sled. If not you’ll lose time. The sections going uphill are interesting, too.” Shiva Keshavan (India / 2012 Asian champion, four-time Olympian) “The new track is in a very good condition. It’s a new challenge for the athletes. Due to the three portions of the track going up and down, you don’t get too fast and that’s a great plus with regard to safety issues. Additionally, the track has no excessive curves and just like the roofing this further adds to the safety.”