Calgary (pps) New rules will be put into practise for the SUZUKI Challenge Cup that will start into its 10th season in Calgary/Canada on Friday, November 23, 2007. In order to “streamline” the rather time-consuming preliminary runs, ten sleds will start in two groups of five athletes in each of the three disciplines - women’s single, men’s single and double-seater. Two lugers per nation are eligible in compliance with the current seeded list. The draw of the two groups will be carried out without a list of seeded athletes.

The two second-placed of each group will then fight for rank three in the so-called “small final”. The respective winners of each group will advance to the “final”. The SUZUKI Challenge Cup series boasts a total prize money of Euro 60,000. A victory in a Challenge Cup event is honored by Euro 2.000 (Euro 2.400 for the double-seater).

„With these alterations and the implementation of these new rules we intend to further streamline the schedule, thus making it even more attractive to both the media and athletes,” explained Josef Fendt, President of the International Luge Federation, FIL, the decision of the FIL Executive Board.

Last year’s winners of the SUZUKI Challenge Cup

Men
1. Armin Zoeggeler (ITA) - 385 points
2. David Moeller (GER)- 265 points
3. Tony Benshoof (USA) –216 points

Women
1. Silke Kraushaar-Pielach (GER) – 270 points
2. Natalia Yakushenko (UKR) – 255 points
3. Veronika Halder (AUT) – 226 points

Doubles
1. Christian Oberstolz/Patrick Gruber (ITA) – 355 points
2. Patric Leitner/Alexander Resch (GER) – 310 points
3. Gerhard Plankensteiner/Oswald Haselrieder (ITA) – 295 points

Schedule Calgary / 1st SUZUKI Challenge Cup

Friday, November 23
15:00 hrs (Local time)/23:00 hrs (CET): preliminary runs
16:20 hrs (Local time)/24:20 hrs (CET): final