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Loch Surges Toward Cortina as Track Delays Put 2028 Königssee Worlds in Doubt

Officials now target 2029 for the Königssee men’s start forcing contingency plans for the 2028 event.

Overview

  • Felix Loch leads the luge World Cup and heads into the Oberhof European Championships and the MilanCortina Olympics as the favorite.
  • The Königssee ice track is scheduled to reopen in autumn 2026 without the men’s start, with that section now expected around 2029, jeopardizing the awarded 2028 World Championships.
  • With the 2028 event at risk, federations are negotiating with Innsbruck and Lake Placid about relocation and a possible one‑year shift, even as InnsbruckIgls remains unable to host luge and skeleton World Cups after a €30 million upgrade.
  • German sport director Thomas Schwab reports regional youth participation in luge has dropped by roughly 50% during the Königssee outage and warns of a potential medal decline by 2034.
  • In bobsleigh, Johannes Lochner has dominated this season and has secured the overall crystal globes, while Francesco Friedrich has prioritized testing and Olympic preparation over World Cup results.