Lillehammer (pps) Even in a season with Olympic Winter Games, the World Cup series is of great importance. The way to the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, only leads via the 2013-2014 Viessmann Luge World Cup series. The season will kick off in Lillehammer, Norway, this weekend. A total of 30 nations (AUS, AUT, BIH, BUL, CAN, CRO, CZE, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IND, ITA, JPN, KOR, LAT, MDA, NED, NOR, POL, ROU, RUS, SLO, SUI, SVK, SWE, TGA, TPE, UKR, USA) have announced their participation with 49 lugers to compete in the women’s singles, 68 athletes in the men’s singles and 32 teams in the doubles’.

They all dream of the Olympic Winter Games: Decisive for a start at the Olympic Games are the first five events, scheduled to take place in Lillehammer (NOR / November 16-17, 2013), Innsbruck-Igls (AUT / November 23-24, 2013), Winterberg (GER / November 30-December 1, 2013), Whistler (CAN / December 6-7, 2013) and Park City (USA / December 13-14, 2013).

The International Luge Federation (FIL) will be able to award eight “wild cards” to athletes competing at the Olympic Games. It is planned to give these mainly to lugers whose start in Sochi will thus enable a team to compete in the Team Relay event.

To punch one of the coveted tickets to the Olympic Games is one of the biggest benefits of competing in the Viessmann Luge World Cup. Additionally, the World Cup series is financially attractive. Ahead of its 37th edition since its start in 1977-1978, the series has been heavily upgraded with an increase in the prize-money. Including the bonus provided by helmet sponsor Uvex, the International Luge Federation (FIL) distributes prize money of more than 300,000 Euro (equivalent of US$ 405,000) in the Viessmann Luge World Cup series. Viessmann has been the title sponsor of the Luge World Cup since the 1996-1997 season.

Defending World Cup Champions are Natalie Geisenberger, Felix Loch and Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt (all of Germany) and each of them claimed the World Championship title in their respective discipline. The quartet additionally won the Team Relay event at the World Championships. “Record” winners in the Viessmann Luge World Cup series are Germany’s Silke Kraushaar-Pielach (retired) and Tatjana Huefner, both with five overall victories to their credit. Vancouver Olympic champion Huefner was plagued by back problems in her pre-season preparation. Austria’s Markus Prock (retired) and Italy’s Armin Zoeggeler have earned 10 overall World Cup titles in the men’s singles, Hansjoerg Raffl-Norbert Huber (Italy) are “record” World Cup winners in the doubles’ with eight titles to their credit.