Berchtesgaden (pps) The Team Relay Event of the International Luge Federation (FIL) saw the light of day at the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Koenigssee on January 7, 2007. But the true “birth” of this innovative event, that will celebrate its Olympic première at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, dates back to an earlier time.

Point of origin was the negative decision with regard to including the FIL team event within the Olympic Winter Games in 2002 and 2006 since a simple adding of three individual performances was not deemed worthy by the IOC. The FIL thus started to revise its thinking and from then on the Team Relay Event started to haunt those responsible within the FIL.

During a meeting of the FIL Panel of Experts on March 28, 2003, it was TV stage director Rainer Dzoesch who first mentioned a Team Event featuring a timekeeping system that does not stop after each athlete. He met with a lot of disapproval and many experts feared security risks. But it was the former chairman of the Sports Commission Karl Zenker, deceased in 2007, who then addressed this issue.

The first test in Calgary, Canada, on December 10, 2004 turned out to be a debacle. The entire format with a signal start and buffer-time turned out to be rather impractical. However, the character of the event as such met with approval. But even the hardly encouraging result – eventual winner of the event was the U.S. luge team with Mark Grimmette-Brian Martin, Ashley Hayden and Tony Benshoof – did not discourage the FIL.

It then took until July 2007 that the Team Relay assumed a shape, at least on paper. Managed by FIL Sports Coordinator Karl-Heinz Anschuetz (Germany) the Team Relay event featured a start gate as well as striking a touch pad at the finish line. Additionally, Thomas Schwab, at that time head coach of the German luge team, addressed the issue, too. Together with his predecessor Sepp Lenz and in close co-operation with the technicians of WIGE-DATA, who are still responsible for the technical implementation of the Team Relay Event under the trade name Swiss Timing (ST), the format was further developed with practical tests. These tests were mainly carried out on the track in Koenigssee, The “guinea pigs” were members of the German junior squad and Uwe Kropfgans (then WIGE-DATA, today ST) always acted as chief technician.

The acclaimed world première eventually took place on January 7, 2007. But again and again modifications were necessary. In the 2007-2008 season the Team Relay then ultimately replaced the team event and in the 2010-2011 season the Team Relay Event finally gained its official World Cup status. Even a technical mistake at the 42nd FIL World Championships that eventually led to the cancellation of the event did not stop the project “Team Relay”.

Then, when the former IOC President Jacques Rogge personally attended the 2010-2011 season final in Sigulda while being on a private visit in Latvia he closely followed the Team Relay event - and everything ran like clockwork. The arguments of FIL President Josef Fendt yielded results and during an audience with Rogge the luge athletes promoted the issue. And at the Viessmann Luge World Cup final, the Team Relay showed all the facets of an exciting event. Thus, the last obstacles for an Olympic première in Sochi were removed.