Moscow (pps) Natalie Gart has been elected the new president of the Russian Luge Federation. She succeeds her late husband Leonid, who died in a tragic accident in Croatia in June. This information was announced by the Federation in Moscow. “I am grateful for the support of the Russian Luge Federation,” Natalia Gart said after being elected on August 25. Already on September 3. The new Russian luge head will pay her first courtesy call to Josef Fendt, President of the International Luge Federation, FIL, in Berchtesgaden. Under the leadership of Leonid Gart, who was elected president in June 2010, Russia’s Luge Federation had its best ever season last winter. At the 2012 FIL Luge World Championships in Altenberg (Germany), Russia claimed three silver medals thanks to Albert Demchenko, Tatiana Ivanova as well as in the Team Relay. These were the first Russian World Championship medals after the end of the former USSR. Similarly under Gart’s direction, Russian natural lugers also became firmly established among the world’s top athletes. At the FIL European Championships in Novouralsk (Russia), the Russian team earned three of the four possible gold medals (team, women’s singles and doubles). Leonid Gart’s construction company GRM, whose controlling interest is now with Natalia Gart as well, had built the artificially refrigerated track in Paramonovo near Moscow, in 2012 venue of the first FIL European Luge Championships in Russia. The company is also involved in the construction of the sports venues and sites for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.