Luge-First training run shows testing nature of new Cortina track

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 4 : Luge athletes got a feel of the Cortina Olympic track on Wednesday, many of them for the first time, as training for the men's singles immediately showed what a technical challenge it will present for all three sliding sports.

The newly constructed track is named after Italian Eugenio Monti, a double Olympic bobsleigh champion in 1968 who also won two silvers in the 1956 Cortina Games on the original track that went on to bear his name.

After a rush to get it finished on time, many athletes had their first experience of it in a test event last November, but for others, Wednesday was something of an eye-opener.

After the start was delayed for an hour due to a power issue, the field of 25 took their turns to emerge from the snowy environs onto the largely sheltered 1,700-metre track.

Germany has dominated luge since it joined the Olympics in 1964 but it was their Austrian rivals who led the way after the first run, with Jonas Mueller just ahead of 2022 silver medallist Wolfgang Kindl.

They were pipped in the second run by home hope and Beijing bronze medallist Dominik Fischnaller, the last man to go as the temperature dropped.

"People have said it's an easy track but there are some parts that are really difficult," Kindl told Reuters.

Curve four, curve 11, it's hard to be fast and I had some problems today with the setup. We're fighting for thousandths so maybe we will try something different tomorrow."

Kindl warned not to read too much into the slower times of some of the favourites. "We're always fast in training but some of the people - yes the Germans - they're holding something back," he said.

American Jonathan Gustafson said the track was in great condition but the early stages asked some