(ATR) The president of the International Luge Federation tells Around the Rings he is not a fan of awarding the 2026 and 2030 Olympics at the same time.
Speaking on the sidelines of the IF Forum in Lausanne, Josef Fendt says the crisis that led to Paris and Los Angeles getting the 2024 and 2028 Olympics won’t be replicated in the selection of the next Winter Olympics host.
"With the Summer Olympics it was a good idea, I am absolutely sure," Fendt said.
"Now Winter Olympics are different—it’s not my favorite idea. I hope we have more candidates for the future."
Fendt says he has heard from a range of cities interested in the 2026 Olympics beyond the initial candidates for 2026. Calgary, Sapporo and Sion, Switzerland are among the cities who have already indicated interest in bidding.
Looking toward the Winter Olympics' immediate future, Fendt says PyeongChang, South Korea is now ready to host the Games. When the Olympics arrive next February, Fendt says a "challenging" track awaits the world’s best sliders.
"It’s fast—but not too fast. Some curves are not so easy to drive. Some combinations are not so easy. It’s not so easy to have a good time."
Previously, Fendt said he was worried about the preparations but POCOG solved all the "small things" stymieing progress.
"We had a very hard time to prepare everything. We have international training this week and we have 150 athletes in PyeongChang. Ten minutes ago I got the last report [from the FIL Sport Director] and it was very positive."
Written and reported by Ed HulaIII in Lausanne.
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