Executive Board
President - LAT
Einars Fogelis
Einars Fogelis was elected President of the FIL at the 2020 FIL Congress in Großgmain, Austria. Prior to that, he was Vice President for Technical Matters from 1994 until 2018, and FIL Secretary General from 1998 until 2020.
On a national level, Mr. Fogelis has been vice president of the Latvian Olympic Committee since 2012 and president of the Latvian Sports Federations Council since 2014.
Mr. Fogelis holds a master’s degree in engineering and social sciences. In the years 1983 to 1994, he served as the chief of track, chief engineer, and director of the Sigulda bobsleigh and luge track. From 1994 to 2004, he was the director of the sports department of Latvia’s Ministry of Education. He served as secretary general of the Latvian Olympic Committee from 2004 until 2012 and has been the director of “Team Olympic Latvia” since 2012.
Einars Fogelis is married and has a daughter and two sons. His hobbies are mountain biking, tennis, SUP, skiing, theater, and traveling.
Secretary General - USA
Dwight Bell
Dwight Bell was elected Secretary General of the FIL at the 2020 FIL Congress in Großgmain, Austria. Prior to that, he served as the USA’s representative to the FIL since 1989, and was elected to the FIL Executive Board at the 2018 FIL Congress in Bratislava, Slovakia. Mr. Bell competed as an athlete from 1977-1984. He served as president of the US Luge Association from 1989-1998, 2006-2010, and 2014-2018.
Other positions he has held in the Olympic movement include: Member of the 2014, 2018 and 2022 IOC Evaluation Commissions; Chef de Mission of the US Olympic Team (211 athletes) for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics; Deputy Chef de Mission of the US Olympic Team for the 1998 Nagano Olympics; Member of the Board of Trustees, Management Committee and Finance Committee for the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympics; Member of the Board of Directors 1989-2004 for the US Olympic Committee (USOC); he also served as a Member of the USOC Executive Committee, Chair of the US Olympic Winter Sports Council, Vice Chair of the National Governing Body Council (all 36 Summer and Winter US Olympic Sports Federations) and Co-Chair of the USOC International Relations Committee.
Mr. Bell is the founder of Atlanta, Georgia USA based Cannon Equities, Inc. and co-founder of AB Capital LLC. These companies invest and develop commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate in the United States. During his 39-year real estate career, Mr. Bell has worked with investors based in the US and Europe to fund projects in excess of 3 billion USD in value. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP), based in Washington DC, representing the commercial real estate industry in North America with over 20,000 members.
Vice President of Finance - NZL
Geoff Balme
Geoff Balme was elected Vice-President Finance of the FIL at the 71st Congress in Bucharest/ROU. He was previously Vice-President for Oceania from 1989-2023.
He has been the president of New Zealand Luge since 1985 and served as a Board member of New Zealand Olympic Committee from 1996 to 2003. At the 1998 Nagano and 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games, Mr. Balme was Chef de Mission of the New Zealand team.
Prior to that, Geoff Balme competed internationally in artificial track luge during the 1986/87, 1987/88 & 1988/89 seasons. His best result was 36th place in the 1989 World Championships at Winterberg, Germany. While living in Calgary, Canada, he competed in natural track luge from 1984 to 1988, including the 1988 North American Championships at Thunder Bay, Canada.
Mr. Balme is a chartered accountant who has worked in public practice and the corporate sector including 4½ years as chief executive of the Home of Cycling Charitable Trust that developed the indoor velodrome that is New Zealand’s National Cycling Centre of Excellence.
He has been married to his wife Debbie since 1982 and has two adult children. His hobbies are running, cycling, sailing, and snowboarding/skiing.
Executive Director - AUT
Christoph Schweiger
Christoph Schweiger was appointed full-time Executive Director of the FIL on July 1, 2010. Prior to that, he was a member of the FIL Working Group "Youth/Development" from 2006 to 2010.
On the national level, Mr. Schweiger served as secretary general of the Austrian Luge Federation from 2008 to 2010. He was an active luge athlete himself and a member of the Austrian national luge team from 1984 to 1987. His best result was sixth place in the 1985/1986 Overall World Cup in doubles.
Christoph Schweiger has an education as an engineer for communications engineering and electronics as well as an education as a sports manager.
He is married and has three children. His hobbies are hiking, race cycling, and books on model making.
Vice President Sport Artificial Track - USA
Claire DelNegro
Claire DelNegro was first elected to the position of Vice President Sport in 1998 and has held this position ever since. Previously, she had been a member of the Sport Commission Artificial Track from 1990 until 1998.
In the years 1986- 1996 and 2012-2013, Ms. DelNegro served as coach, team manager, Olympic team leader, international program manager, and interim CEO for USA Luge. She was the CEO of the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation from 2003 – 2005, a US National Team Committee member from 1996 – 2014, and worked in the Olympic Organizing Committees for Lake Placid (1980), Los Angeles (1984), and Salt Lake City (2002, where she held the position of Director of Sliding Sports - Luge, Bobsled, and Skeleton). Claire DelNegro served as the FIL Technical Delegate to five Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022) and as FIL ORIS (Olympic Results and Information Systems) representative at six Olympic Games (1999 – 2022).
Prior to that, from 1979-1985, Claire DelNegro competed in national luge competitions and internationally at World Cups and World Championships. She took part in the 1984 Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, at that time representing Great Britain.
Ms. DelNegro is married with one child, splitting time between Boston and Lake Placid. Her spare time is spent enjoying sports, especially hiking and tennis.
Vice President Technical Matters Artificial Track - ITA
Armin Zöggeler
Armin Zöggeler was elected Vice President for Technical Matters at the 2018 FIL Congress in Bratislava, Slovakia.
He was one of the most successful athletes in the history of luge. He won six medals at Olympic Games: Bronze 1994 in Lillehammer (NOR), silver 1998 in Nagano (JPN), gold 2002 in Salt Lake City (USA) and 2006 in Turin (ITA) as well as bronze 2010 in Vancouver (CAN) and 2014 in Sochi (RUS). He became World Champion six times (1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2011), won 57 World Cup races, was ten times overall World Cup winner and three times European Champion.
After finishing his active sports career, he coached the Italian national team artificial track from 2014 to 2015; since 2015, the member of the Italian Carabinieri sports group has been sports director of the Italian national team artificial and natural track.
Armin Zoeggeler is married and has a daughter and a son. His hobbies are hiking, hunting, and horse breeding.
Vice President Marketing - GER
Thomas Schwab
Thomas Schwab was elected Vice President for Marketing at the 2019 FIL Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Prior to that, he was a member of the FIL Sport Commission from 1994 to 2008.
On a national level, he served as Junior luge coach for the German federation from 1989 until 1994 and as head coach from 1994 until 2008. In 2008, he became sport director, secretary general, and CEO of the Bobsleigh and Skelton Federation for Germany (BSD) and has held these offices ever since.
Prior to that, Thomas Schwab competed internationally in artificial track luge in the doubles discipline. His best results include winning the overall World Cup in the 1986/1987 season, a bronze medal at the 1987 World Championships in Innsbruck/Igls, gold at the 1988 European Championships, and a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary.
His hobbies are cycling (both mountain and racing bike). As a trained mason, he still enjoys working in this craft.
Vice President Natural Track and Public Sledding - ROU
Sorin Buta
Sorin Buta was elected Vice President Natural Track at the 70th FIL Congress 2022 in Hall in Tirol, Austria. Previously, he had been a member of the Executive Board since the 2020 FIL Congress in Großgmain/Austria.
On a national level he has been contributing to the development of luge with many specialized activities and actively promoting the image of winter sports in Romania for many years.
His main ideal has always been solidarity. He advocates equal opportunities and the continuation of the tradition of luge as an Olympic winter sport.
By profession, Mr. Buta is an engineer, who designs buildings, excelling in strength and exterior design. His hobbies are karate and swimming in open water.
Member - AUT
Markus Prock
Markus Prock was first elected to the Executive Board of the FIL at the 70th FIL Congress 2022 in Hall in Tirol, Austria.
Member - ROU
Sorina Ticu
Sorina Ticu was first elected to the Executive Board of the FIL at the 2022 FIL Congress in Hall in Tirol, Austria.
On a national level, Ms. Ticu is the President of the Romanian Bobsleigh, Skeleton and Luge Federation and represents the Romanian winter sport disciplines in the Romanian Olympic Committee.
As a luge athlete she competed in the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Shortly after that she started her career as a coach for the Romanian luge team, participating in four Olympic Winter Games (Turin, Sochi, PyeongChang, and Beijing) as an official.
The development of international sliding activities plays an important role in Sorina Ticu’s life. It is her wish to perpetuate the importance of sport and its values including teamwork and fairplay, and she is very committed to the affirmation of women as managers and leaders specialized in high performance sports.
Ms.Ticu likes to travel, and when time permits, she enjoys watching opera shows.
Regional Vice President Asia - KOR
Jieun Park
Jay Jieun Park was elected to the position of Vice President Asia at the 2018 FIL Congress in Bratislava, Slovakia.
On a national level, Ms. Park has been an Executive Board member of the Korean Olympic and Sport Committee, the president of the Korean Luge Federation, and vice president of Taegu Science University since 2016. From 2016 until 2018, she was an Executive Board member of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Organizing Committee as well as deputy director of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Korea House.
In 2019, Jay Jieun Park received a Prime Minister citation as a sport administrator.
As FIL Vice President for Asia, her primary concern is spreading awareness of the sport of luge in Asia.
Athletes` Representative - ITA
Leon Felderer
Leon Felderer was elected chairman of the athletes' commission in 2023 and has since been a member of the executive board.
From 2008 - 2014 he competed as a luge athlete on natural track for the Italian national team. Since 2015 he has been active as a luge athlete on artificial track and has successfully competed in national competitions, international World Cups and World Championships on artificial track. In 2022, he competed for the first time at the Winter Olympics in Beijing/CHN for the Italian national team.
He is a member of the Esercito Italiano (Italian Army) sports group.
His hobbies are cycling, hiking and beach volleyball.
