Königssee to host FIL World Championships for the eighth time in 2028

Lake Placid (FIL/15 June 2024) The 72nd FIL Congress in Lake Placid, Upstate New York, awarded the 2028 FIL World Championships to Koenigssee, Germany, on Saturday, June 15, 2024.

The Königssee Ice Arena, the world's first artificial ice track for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton, has already hosted the Luge World Championships seven times (1969, 1970, 1974, 1979, 1999, 2016 and 2021).

This traditional track was damaged by a mudslide in the night of July 17-18, 2021, as a result of the floods in Western and Central Europe in 2021. The cost of reconstruction is estimated at 53.4 million euros.

In April 2024, the dismantling of the upper, damaged part of the track began. The slope stabilization, the renovation of the track and the construction of a new men's start are planned for 2024 and 2026. From 2026, World Cups are to take place at Königssee again.

The Chairman of the Board of the German Bobsleigh and Luge Federation (BSD), Thomas Schwab, presented the renovation and conversion plans for the artificial ice track at Königssee and reported that the new men's start in Königssee will be built above the women's start in a tower in order to stay away from the danger zone with the Klingerbach and the mountain slope. The infrastructure of the track will be renewed.

"The track at Königssee will be reopened in November 2025 and we will be hosting FIL and IBSF World Cups again from the 2025/2026 season. The World Cups and the 2028 Luge World Championships are a great motivation for us. Berchtesgaden is looking forward to hosting the World Championships for the eighth time," said Thomas Schwab. "We want to organize a spectacular opening ceremony, a supporting program and a nice closing party for all athletes and teams," promised Schwab.