Whistler (pps) The artificial track for luge, bobsleigh and skeleton for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, will undergo its first crucial test when the International Training Week of the International Luge Federation (FIL) will be held there beginning November 7. The training week will be the first opportunity for the world’s best athletes to train together at the new facility in Whistler. Extensive safety measures prescribed by the FIL include systematic training for all participants.

Before the guests from other countries, Canada’s luge team already trained in Whistler. „We were able to train well and without problems“, said Canada’s head coach Wolfgang Staudinger after the ten day training course.

The Whistler Sliding Center, which is located at Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, is one of now 15 artificially refrigerated tracks worldwide and will be the venue of the Olympic luge, bobsleigh and skeleton competitions in 2010. The track has 16 curves over a total length of 1,450 meters. The facility comprises cooling buildings, all installations required for the operation of the track as well as access roads. It is part of a long-term development plan for the region, especially with regard to post-Olympic use. Whistler Sliding Center is operated under the umbrella of the „Whistler Legacy Society“, a foundation launched by the Canadian government and the government of the province of British Columbia.