Riga (pps) The U23 Luge World Championships on artificial track are now officially part of the regulations of the International Luge Federation (FIL). This was decided during the 60th Congress in Riga, Latvia. In the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the U23 titles were awarded as a test event during the FIL Luge World Championships in Cesana (ITA) and Altenberg (GER). The next official U23 medals will thus be awarded after a so-called “race-in-race” competition within the upcoming FIL Luge World Championships in Whistler in 2013. Eligible are all lugers under the age of 23 who compete at the World Championships (age limit 2013 = year of birth 1990) The U23 title holders in 2011 were Natalie Geisenberger, Felix Loch (both of Germany) as well as Ludwig Rieder-Patrick Rastner (ITA). In Altenberg Russia’s Tatiana Ivanova, again Felix Loch and Russia’s doubles team of Alexandr Denisyev-Vladislav Anotonov won the U23 gold medals.