Innsbruck-Igls (pps) Reinhold Rainer of Italy, third on the overall Viessmann Luge World Cup ranking last season, is worrying about his start at the upcoming World Championships. The athlete from South Tyrol was seriously injured in a traffic accident during the International Training Week in Oberhof, suffering trauma to the shoulder. “The ligaments and the shoulder joint are seriously damaged,” explained Rainer, a long-time room-mate of two-time Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler.

Should Rainer’s recovery go according to plan, the winner of the Viessmann Luge World Cup event in Park City in the 2003-2004 season intends to participate in the FIL European Championships in Cesana, Italy, on January 12-13, 2008 in order to kep his World Championship chances going.