WHISTLER, B.C.—Luge Canada will reunite the world in Whistler once again as the International Luge Federation (FIL) has awarded the Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games with the 53rd FIL Luge World Championships, February 6-8, 2025.
“The Whistler Sliding Centre is known by sliding fans as one of the best tracks in the world and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to host the premiere sliding sport event on the international race calendar in Canada,” said Tim Farstad, executive director, Luge Canada.
Luge Canada was originally scheduled to host the 2021 World Championships, however, due to continued travel restrictions at the time, as a result of COVID-19, executives from the International Luge Federation and Luge Canada decided to press pause on hosting the World Championships in Canada.
“Luge Canada and the Whistler Sliding Centre traditionally host great competitions with best track conditions and perfect organization. We are looking forward to the highlight of the 2024/2025 season with the 53rd FIL World Championships in Canada in early February 2025 and to the upcoming EBERSPÄCHER World Cup in front of a breathtaking scenery on the 2010 Olympic track,” said FIL President Einars Fogelis.
Known by sliding sport fans as one of the best tracks in the world, Luge Canada previously hosted the World Championships at the Whistler Sliding Centre in 2013. A regular stop on the World Cup circuit, the 16-corner track will also host a World Cup race in 2023, December 14-16.
“This high calibre event is exactly what the Whistler Sliding Centre was built for, and we are delighted to welcome the world back to Whistler for the World Cup this year, and especially the 2025 World Championships,” said Roger Soane, president and CEO of Whistler Sport Legacies. “Canada continues to be the model by which the world measures Olympic legacies. Those legacies are only effective if the facilities are being used for training and competition purposes. Working with Luge Canada, we are going to once again stage a memorable World Championships that will display skill, sportsmanship and a fun, must-see event for visitors to the Whistler area.”
The relationship between the Whistler Sliding Centre and local luge athletes, Trinity Ellis and Caitlin Nash, is proof that hosting major international events at home is important for developing niche Olympic sports, which often fly under the radar in Canada. Growing up with the 2010 Olympic legacy in their backyards, Ellis and Nash have developed into two of the top sliders in Canada since being introduced to the sport through school field trips and recruitment camps at the venue. Now representing a new generation of luge athletes in Canada, Ellis competed at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and Nash won a silver medal at the 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games.
“The 2010 Games inspired me to pursue luge and I believe hosting World Cups and the World Championships here in Whistler will do the same for the next generation of luge athletes,” said Ellis. “It’s a great opportunity to share the excitement of racing with Whistler’s truly international community. Be it the Olympics, or an international race at any level, the residents and visitors have showed incredible support for this venue by lining the track each time we race here. The thought of hitting the start line in front of my friends and family, and even potentially winning a medal at home, will be a dream come true.”
In addition to hosting the 2010 Olympics, the Whistler Sliding Centre has been a regular World Cup stop for the International Luge Federation, the 2013 Luge World Championships, 2019 Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships and multiple international development level races in all three sliding sports. The venue is now a breeding ground for Canada’s sliding sport athletes at all levels.
The Canadian Luge Association is a not-for-profit organization responsible for governing the sport of luge across the country. With the financial backing of from the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium, the Canadian Luge Association safely recruits and develops the nation’s current and future high-performance luge athletes with the goal of regularly climbing onto the international podium. For more information on the Canadian Luge Association, please visit us at www.luge.ca on the Internet.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan
Media and Public Relations
Luge Canada
T: 403-620-8731