Best lugers are gathering in China's Yanqing National Sliding Center, for a fierce competition of the Luge World Cup, from November 19 to 21, 2021. It is the first World Cup of the Olympic season on the track that will be used during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, which starts on February 4, next year.
On Friday, Lisa Schulte from Australia won the first place in women's single event and Canadians Devin Wardrope and Cole Zajanski took the double's title.
With a time of 59.535 seconds, Chinese Fan Duoyao qualified for the World Cup men's singles event, making another history in China.
A Chinese athlete prepares to start his luge competition during the FIL Luge World Cup in Yanqing, Beijing, China, November 19, 2021. / Yanqing National Sliding Center
The first day's event of the World Cup featured a competition that granted over 110 athletes from 17 countries in the qualifying session. In the coming two days, the competition will include men's and women's singles and doubles events.
One of the features of the Luge World Cup is the eye-catching new ice rink, which is located on a mountain slope in one of Beijing's best winter resort areas. The Yanqing National Sliding Center is China's first and Asia's third ice rink. It is currently the longest and most modern facility of its kind in the world. The track for men's competition is 1,582 meters long and, for women's competition, is 1,475 meters in length. The ice rink is 1.5 meters wide with 16 curves and a 121-meter slope drop.
Einars Fogelis, president of the International Luge Federation (FIL), talked to the press in Beijing about the World Cup on November 17. "The teams are working very hard...the full team, from the organizers, venue managers and the track crew are in the highest level."
An athlete competes during the FIL Luge World Cup in Yanqing, Beijing, China, November 19, 2021. / Yanqing National Sliding Center
In early November, an International Training Week (ITW) event for luge athletes was held in the Yangqing National Sliding Center, a test for both lugers and the venue teams, preparing for the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Multiple athletes shared their experiences on the official website of FIL.
"The track is very unique. It has been a much steeper learning curve than anyone had anticipated coming in. Each day gets better and better though as we figure out the correct driving lines down the track," said Tucker West from the United States.
Ashley Farquharson, also from the United States, said, "the area we're in is amazing. The track is very different than most others and requires a different approach, but we're chipping away at it and it's coming along nicely."
Rene Friedl, head coach of Team Austria, said, "in the beginning we had to be a bit patient, but now everything fits. We have long and intensive days all the way through. The construction of the sports facility here is very impressive – a real work of art. The track itself is challenging from top to bottom and needs a lot of feeling. It's a challenge to slide here, but it's a lot of fun. We constantly exchange information with each other. There are no secrets in our team."