FIL World Luge Championships 2008

The FIL World Luge Championships 2008 took place January 21-27, 2008 at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Oberhof, Germany for the third time after having hosted the event in 1973 and 1985. The relay competition took the place of the team event that had been held at every world championship since 1989. This event had all of teams start at the same part of the track (located at the women's singles/ men's doubles start house), then run down to the finish and tap on a relay marker to exchange from one slider on a team to the next (men's doubles to women's singles to men's singles) with the fastest time winning.

Event preparations

In an effort to prepare for the championships, the track underwent a major renovation in 2006, costing €4 million. Ticket sales at the finish area for all three days were sold out. Besides the competitors, the organizing team consisted of 250 volunteers, 60 security guards, 30 referees, 100 service staff members, 15 tellers, ten drivers, and 30 German Army soldiers and members of the mountain rescue service. [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/oberhof-well-prepared-for-world-luge-festival.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=50eaa75828 FIL-Luge.org article on Oberhof's preparation for the FIL World Luge Championships 2008.] - Accessed January 22, 2008.] Organizing Committee President Bernd Rossmann (spelled Roßmann in Germany) stated that "We can expect 5,000 Visitors each day, but we hope we can reach 10,000 daily. Tickets remain available." [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/organizers-expect-10000-spectators-daily.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=2e4721bb53 FIL-Luge.org article on organizing committe's goal of visitors for the FIL World Luge Championships 2008] - accessed January 24, 2008.] 200 media passes were also given out for the event. Television coverage took place live on Eurosport 2, showing the women's singles event, the first run of the men's singles event, and both runs of the men's doubles event. [ [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/40th-fil-luge-world-championships.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=c666b58e66 FIL-Luge.org January 24, 2008 article on Eurosport 2 live television coverage of the event.] - Accessed January 24, 2008.]

Participating nations

21 nations entered competitors into the championships, including 42 men's singles, 36 women's singles, and 24 men's doubles. [ [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/world-championship-entries-21-nations-42-men-36-women-24-doubles.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=c0e89b8fa5 FIL-Luge news on participating nations at the World Championships] - Accessed January 22, 2008.] 77 officials were also part of the competitor's list.

A retirement ceremony was held prior to the start of the event for four-time women's singles world champion Sylke Otto, who won in 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2005, before retiring prior to last year's world championships in Igls, Austria. [ [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/sylke-otto-to-be-seen-off-during-world-championships.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=e59740e5f1 FIL-Luge.org January 23, 2008 article on Otto's retirement ceremony prior to the start of the women's singles event at the 2008 FIL World Luge Championships in Oberhof, Germany on January 25, 2008.] - Accessed January 24, 2008.] Hüfner defended her title despite setting start and track records in the first run only to have current European champion Geisenberger follow up with start and track records of her own on the second run. Kraushaar-Pielach won her tenth and final career medal at the world championships. [ [http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/second-world-title-for-tatjana-huefner.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=d115bafe16 FIl-Luge.org women's singles results from Oberhof.] ]

Men's doubles

January 27, 2008 at 10 AM CET (9 AM UTC)

Notes and references

* [http://www.rodelwm2008.de/data/uploads/ausschreibung.pdf Official invitation and schedule for the FIL World Luge Championships 2008] en icon and de icon - Accessed January 10, 2008.
* [http://sports123.com/lug/mw-d.html Men's doubles World Champions]
* [http://sports123.com/lug/mw-s.html Men's singles World Champions]
* [http://sports123.com/lug/xw-t.html Mixed teams World Champions]
* [http://sports123/com/lug/ww-s.html Women's singles World Champions]

External links

* [http://www.oberhof2008.de/ Official website] de icon