Calgary (pps) Prior to the third and last but one competition in the team event on Friday (December 16/starting time 10:00 hrs local time, 16:00 hrs CET) in Lake Placid, USA, title holders Germany are only in seventh position with 105 points without a chance to defend their title. The Germans currently are 65 points behind the leading Austrians (170). Prior to the current season Germany won all team events since the introduction of the competition in 2003-2004, with just one exception in Calgary last winter. Austria, the winners at Sigulda and Calgary, are followed by Calgary winners USA (150 points) and Latvia (142).

The team event has special importance in the Olympic winter, because the International Olympic Committee will decide, possibly in the autum of 2006, whether this event will be included in the Olympic programme for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.

The final of the team event has been scheduled for Koenigssee, Germany, on January 6-7, 2006, for which high-ranking IOC officials, headed by IOC Sports Director Kelly Fairweather, have announced their visit.