Luge

A luge is small one- or two-person sled on which one sleighs face-up feet-first. Steering is done by shifting the weight or pulling straps attached to the sled's runners. Luge is also the name of a sport which involves racing with such sleds.

Table of contents

1 History 2 Rules 3 Competition Format 4 Governing Body 5 Champions

History

The first organised meeting of the sport took place in 1883 in Switzerland. In 1913, the Internationale Schlittensportverband or International Sled Sports Federation, was founded in Dresden (Germany). This body governed the sport until 1935, when it was incorporated in the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT, International Bobsleigh and Tobagganing Federation). After it had been decided that luge would replace the sport of skeleton at the Olympic Games, the first World Championships in the sport were held in 1955 in Oslo (Sweden). In 1957, the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (FIL, International Luge Federation) is founded. Luging event were included in the Olympic Winter Games in 1964.

Rules

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Competition Format

Luge can take place on two kinds of tracks, artificial tracks and natural tracks. Artificial tracks contains curves specially prepared for the sport, and even the ice on the track may be refrigerated. Natural tracks have no such adaptations. Most luge tracks, including all natural tracks, are located in Alpine countries:

• notably Germany,
  • Altenberg (Saxony)
  • Königsee (Bavaria)
  • Oberhof (Thuringia)
  • Winterberg (Niedersachsen)
• Austria
  • Innsbruck
• Italy
  • Cortina d'Ampezzo only for bobsleight
  • Torino, will build for the Olympics in 2006
• Switzerland
  • St.Moritz the longest and fastest naturaltrack of the world .

Some artificial tracks exist in:

• Japan --> Nagano,
• North America,
  • USA
    • Lake Placid (New York)
    • Salt Lake City (Utah)
  • Canada --> Calgary (Alberta)
• Norway --> Lillehammer
• Latvia --> Sigulda
• France --> La Plange
• Bosnien and Herzogowina --> Sarajevo (unsuitable)

usually built for the Olympic Games.

Two different events are held in luge, events for single-seaters and events for double-seaters. Technically, women are allowed to compete in the doubles, but their strength is usually insufficient to compete at international level. Additionally, at major championships, a team competition is held, where one man, one woman and a double form a team. Such teams may consists of lugers of two different nations.

Governing Body

The sport of luge is governed by the FIL, Fédération International de Luge de Course (see FIL Website).

The following persons have been president of the FIL:

• Bert Isatitsch, Austria (1957-1994)
• Josef Fendt, Germany (1994-current)

Champions

• Luge/Olympic Champions
• Luge/World Champions
• Luge/European Champions