Ukraine's lugers train in Latvia

Sigulda (FIL/28 Sept 2023) In just over two months, the world's top luge athletes will start the new season. The World Cup opener of the EBERSPAECHER series will take place in Lake Placid, USA. For the first time since 2019, a luge World Cup will be held in the state of New York. The national teams are preparing. The first teams will start training on the ice in Lillehammer, Norway, in October.

The Ukrainian team has had a particularly difficult time preparing for the season. The team trained all summer at home, each athlete in his or her region of Ukraine. There was one central training camp in Sigulda, Latvia at the end of the preparation.

"Our goal for the summer training was to prepare the athletes physically for the season at the highest level. This included functional training, coordination exercises and special physical exercises. Despite the war in our country, we will do everything to participate as well as possible in all international competitions in all age groups. Our goal as a team is to achieve better results than in previous years and to improve," said Taras Hartsula, the head coach of the Ukrainian national team.

The team manager went on to say that because of the war in his country, training is very unstable. They are often forced to interrupt practice because of air raid alerts and rocket attacks.

Hartsula is even more pleased that there are young athletes in Ukraine who have been training seriously for three seasons: "We hope to have young Olympians for Gangwon 2024. We have nine athletes in the team: three boys in singles, two girls in singles and one doubles team for both girls and boys," continued Taras Hartsula: "We even have the possibility to form two more doubles. In connection with the Youth Olympic Games, we very much hope to organize a training camp for the youth in South Korea in November.

"Our team wishes everyone peace and a peaceful sky over their heads, because we understand like no other how important peace is right now, when you can do your favorite activity, enjoy the results and bring joy to others. May there be peace for everyone", wishes the Ukrainian head coach Taras Hartsula.

photos: Mareks Galinovskis