With the bib of medal winner Ashley Farquharson: Dwight Bell, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland, Einars Fogelis

Seven Days That Shaped the Road to 2034

In the space of seven days, the FIL held three meetings on two continents that underlined where the sport is headed – and who is building that future together.

Executive Board: Working groups with designated leaders

The FIL Executive Board convened for its first meeting with newly elected board members, setting the tone for the seasons ahead. FIL President Einars Fogelis established working groups with designated leaders to drive the implementation of the federation's strategic roadmap. The upcoming World Cup season, the double World Championships in Innsbruck-Igls and the broader direction of "We Slide Forward 2034" were all on the table.

Colorado Springs: Fit for the Future on the American Continent

Fogelis, Secretary General Dwight Bell and Sports Director Matthias Böhmer then travelled to Colorado Springs for working sessions with Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), joined by USA Luge CEO Scott Rivaldi.

Three themes drove the conversation. First: the implementation of the IOC's "Fit for the Future" strategy – and what it means specifically for luge on the American continent, where the sport's next Olympic chapter will be written. Second: the development of alpine luge and street luge as accessible entry points for new audiences and young athletes across North America, with the USOPC's support as a critical enabler. Third: the commercial landscape and television distribution in North America, where luge has significant untapped potential.

"USA Luge is one of our strongest national federations, and the relationship with the USOPC is one we value enormously," said Fogelis. "Sarah Hirshland is a key figure for the development of our sport on the American continent, and the support we felt in that room – for luge, for Utah 2034, and for the broader growth of the sport – was both genuine and energizing."

Utah Olympic Park: Designing the World's Best Olympic Luge Experience

The final stop was Utah Olympic Park in Park City, where FIL leadership, Utah 2034, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF) and USA Luge convened for a workshop titled "Olympic Luge 2034 – Venue, Event, Innovation & Legacy." Senior leadership from both Utah 2034 and the UOLF attended, including representatives who are themselves Olympic medal winners.

The central question guiding the day: if we were designing the world's best Olympic luge experience for 2034 from a clean sheet, what would we do?

Three areas stood out. The FIL's relationship with Utah 2034 is already well established – these were not introductory conversations, but substantive planning discussions covering venue improvements, broadcast innovation, spectator experience and long-term legacy. Under FIL's Project Elan, World Cup and World Championship events in the seasons ahead will serve as a testing laboratory for innovations to be fully deployed at Utah 2034: drone and rail cameras, athlete biometrics, sled telemetry and next-generation broadcast graphics.

The development of alpine luge and street luge as accessible pathways into the sport ran as a thread through the entire day. A potential route is taking shape: from school programs and ski resort activations, through the Wasatch Luge Club, all the way to the Olympic start list. Utah Olympic Park already has an open door for Pan-American nations to train and develop there in the years leading up to 2034. 

The workshop concluded with agreement on a set of priority initiatives and the establishment of a joint FIL × Utah 2034 Luge Innovation & Legacy Working Group to carry the work forward.

"Every meeting reinforced the same thing," said Fogelis. "The commitment is real, the relationships are strong, and the opportunity ahead of us is extraordinary. Utah 2034 will not only be a great Olympic Games for luge – it will be a platform for the long-term growth of our sport on an entire continent."

FIL Secretary General Dwight Bell added: "The meetings we had in Colorado Springs and Utah were exactly the kind of conversations that build lasting partnerships. With Utah 2034, UOLF and USA Luge, we are not just planning an Olympic competition – we are building a vision for what luge can become on this continent, and beyond."

The next World Cup season starts in Winterberg on November 23. Utah 2034 is eight years away. But the work – and the partnership – has already begun.