In preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Luge World Cup begins on a new course. From November 19 to 21, 2021, the world’s best lugers will assemble at China’s Yanqing National Sliding Center for a furious competition of the Luge World Cup. It is the first World Cup of the Olympic season on the track that will be used for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which begin on February 4, next year.
Lisa Schulte of Australia won the women’s singles event on Friday, while Canadians Devin Wardrope and Cole Zajanski won the doubles event. Chinese Fan Duoyao qualified for the World Cup men’s singles event with a time of 59.535 seconds, creating another another record in China.
The World Cup’s opening day included a tournament that allowed over 110 competitors from 17 countries to compete in the qualifying round. The competition will comprise men’s and women’s singles and doubles competitions over the next two days.
The eye-catching new ice rink, nestled on a steep slope in one of Beijing’s greatest winter resort regions, is one of the Luge World Cup highlights. The Yanqing National Sliding Center is China’s first ice rink and Asia’s third. It is now the world’s longest and most advanced facility of its kind. The men’s competition track is 1,582 metres long, while the women’s competition track is 1,475 metres long.
On November 17, Einars Fogelis, president of the International Luge Federation (FIL), spoke to the press in Beijing about the Luge World Cup. “The crews are working really hard…the entire team, from the organisers to the venue management to the track crew, is performing at the best level.”
An International Training Week (ITW) event for the Luge World Cup, athletes was held in early November at the Yangqing National Sliding Center, a test for both lugers and venue teams in preparation for the next Winter Olympics.
“The track is one-of-a-kind. It has been a considerably higher learning curve than anyone imagined when they first arrived. Each day, though, becomes better and better as we figure out the best driving lines down the course “Tucker West from the United States said out.
Ashley Farquharson, another American, stated, “The place we’re in is breathtaking. The tune is unlike most others and demands a different approach, but we’re working on it and it’s going together beautifully.”
Rene Friedl, Team Austria’s head coach, stated, “We had to be patient at first, but everything is now in place. We have long and intense days the entire time. The building of the sports complex here is stunning — a true piece of art. The track itself is difficult from start to finish and requires a lot of feeling. It’s difficult to slide here, but it’s a lot of fun. We are continually exchanging information with one another. In our team, there are no secrets.”
