Olympic Solidarity supports Luge School Project

Salzburg (FIL/10 Oct, 2022) From October 14-24, 2022 the first FIL Luge School project for children and youth from developing nations will take place in Sigulda (LAT) with the support of the IOC Olympic Solidarity programme.

Young athletes from from nations that had less than 50 athletes competing at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing 2022 were invited. FIL Development Director Fred Zimny reported: “Approximately 25 nations have been invited to attend. We have feedback from athletes from Europe, Asia, South America and Australia and hope also Africa and North America will be interestend”.

During the “Olympic Solidarity Luge School” activities will include daily training on the Sigulda luge track, on-ice start practice, physical training and activities, sled maintenance instruction and some group fun activities also.

“The experienced Trainers will be the FIL coaches, including Petr Kinzel, Tomas Kinzel and Martin Lozbers. Each nation is also required to send an adult with their athletes which can be a coach or perhaps a parent”, Zimny explained.

The Olympic Solidarity Luge Project will also expect children who have never seen snow and ice before. “For example, both Australia and Puerto Rico have expressed an interest in sending athletes to the school”, Fred Zimny reported.

Ideally school participants will be born between the years 2004-2009. The first instruction will not even be on the track. The young athletes will be introduced to the luge sled off the ice and shown all the parts of the sled and how it works. This is the first time most will have seen a sled, so all will be new to them. Each athlete will be given the opportunity to lie on the sled, will be shown the correct position and how the sled steers. FIL coach Petr Kinzel knows: “It's much better to do this for the first time in a room at a hotel rather than at the track before the first training session where they can likely be somewhat nervous and might not remember some of the important elements.”

The kids and young interested people will receive a very intensive and immersive program and will learn all aspects of luge. Fred Zimny explained: “The young participants are either brand new or very inexperienced athletes and most will have never even seen a luge sled yet in their life. So instruction will begin with the very basics and hopefully progress, with experience, to moving higher and higher on the track. The number one goal of the camp is to get athletes as many runs as possible throughout the week long program”. 

Experienced Luge coach Zimny is sure: “The secret to starting a new, young athlete into luge is to go slowly, and not throw too much information at them initially. It's also very important that the first runs be fun. Everyone does luge because it's fun, but if their first run is not fun for whatever reason, they might never want to try again. So it's important for the first experience to be a good and positive one. And that’s the way we want to introduce sledding to young athletes”.

FIL president Einars Fogelis said grateful: “This camp could not have happened without the generous support of the IOC through an Olympic Solidarity Grant. The FIL is very thankful for their support and for giving athletes from around the world an opportunity to try luge. This experience could be life changing for some, one never knows what path an athlete will take after their first introduction to the sport of luge. Perhaps even to an Olympic Games.”