Russia to host its first World Championships

Sochi (RWH) Russia is gearing up to host the World Championships of the International Luge Federation (FIL) for the first time. The Sanki Sliding Center, which staged the 2014 Olympics, will be the venue for the 49th running of the title deciders. Some 100 athletes from 19 of the international federation’s member associations have registered to compete.

The FIL World Championships will be the second major winter sports event staged in Russia after the 2014 Olympics, following the Ice Hockey World Championship in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2016. A total of seven sets of medals for the top three finishers will be awarded at the FIL World Championships from February 14-16, 2020. The contested events will be the non-Olympic sprint followed by the four Olympic disciplines – men, women, doubles and the team relay. The FIL will also award the U23 World Championship title via a race-in-race format for the eighth time.

At last year’s dress rehearsal for the World Championships, the host nation triumphed in six of seven races. Only Natalie Geisenberger (GER), who is taking time out to have a baby in the 2019/2020 season, prevented a Russian whitewash by winning the Olympic women’s discipline. This winter, there have been three winners in the ten women’s races to date, and seven apiece in the men’s event and doubles.

Four nations have taken victory in the four Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW races this season. The Italian quartet celebrated victory in the season-opener in Innsbruck (AUT), World Champions Russia won in Altenberg (GER), Austria were crowned the new European Champions in Lillehammer (NOR), and Olympic Champions Germany won last time out in Oberhof (GER).