Innsbruck (pps) Simon Kainzwaldner, Italy, winner in the luge doubles with Florian Gruber, said it was “simply cool”. The usually rather quiet German Christian Paffe calmly expressed something big: „We’re athletes from all over the world and we understand each other perfectly.” And the always good-humored Miriam-Stefanie Kastlunger of Austria just hugged everyone she ran into. Tucker West, part of the US gold medal-winning team with Summer Britscher and the doubles Ty Andersen-Pat Edmunds, said: “It was definitely the best experience I’ve ever made”.
But not only the luge gold medal winners of the first winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck were delighted. All other young luge talents, too, were completely hooked on the YOG première that was held under the auspices of the five Olympic rings in Innsbruck, host to the Olympic family for the third time after 1964 and 1976.
Josef Fendt of Germany, President of the International Luge Federation (FIL), admits that he was rather skeptical in the run-up to the YOG. Fendt: “But then I received positive reactions from all sides.”
Everything worked out perfectly on the artificially refrigerated Olympic luge track at the foot of the Patscherkofel Mountain. With the YOG première in mind, the complex had been renamed “Olympic Sliding Center”. Spectators, atmosphere, the Olympic Village all met the highest demands. Or, in the words of André Lange, four-time Olympic bobsleigh Champion and now team leader for luge, bobsleigh and skeleton: “It’s a mini-sized version of the Village at the 2012 Olympic Games in Vancouver.”
In fact it was probably rather difficult to get the right mixture of challenging sports events, an ambitious Cultural and Educational Program as well as great fun. But the Innsbruck organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) just struck the right notes.
It started with an Opening Ceremony full of atmosphere, with luge idols such as Josef Feistmantl and Doris and Angelika Neuner as protagonists, went on with medal winners of different nations in the individual luge events and culminated with the inaugural FIL Team Relay Event. IOC President Jacques Rogge himself was present for the Olympic première of this relay event.
Prince Albert of Monaco, bobsleigh pilot at five Olympics and as IOC Member an expert on Olympic Games, called Innsbruck “the ideal venue”. The IOC President himself already mentioned it when he delivered his speech at the Opening Ceremony: “Innsbruck – you’ve done it again”. And he was correct.
Lillehammer, in 1994 venue of the probably most impressive Olympic Winter Games of all times, will host the next YOG in 2016.
