Skip to content
Toggle menu
SportsTravel SportsTravel

Breaking News, Podcasts and Analysis Serving People who Organize, Manage and Host Sports Events

Primary Menu
  • News
    • Hosts & Suppliers
    • Recently Awarded
    • Sports Organizations
    • Sports Venues
    • Sponsors & Media
  • IN DEPTH
    • Feature Story
    • On Assignment
    • Perspectives
    • Technology in Sports
  • Podcasts
  • Sports
    • CATEGORY
      • Amateur Sports
      • Youth Sports
      • Collegiate Sports
      • Professional Sports
      • Olympic Sports
      • Paralympic Sports
      • National Governing Body
      • Adaptive Sports
      • Sustainability
      • Water Sports
      • Winter Sports
      • Women’s Sports
    • INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Bowling
      • Cycling
      • Football
      • Golf
      • Gymnastics
      • Hockey
      • Lacrosse
      • Motorsports
      • Pickleball
      • Rugby
      • Running
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Swimming
      • Tennis
      • Track & Field
      • Triathlon
      • Volleyball
      • Wrestling
  • Esports
    • Esports News
    • Esports Guide
    • EsportsTravel Summit
  • Resources
    • Bid Bowl
      • Bid Bowl Listings
      • Submission Form
        • About Bid Bowl
    • Destination Spotlight
    • Destination Guides
    • Downloadable Guides
    • Venue Guides
    • Media Kit
      • Media Kit
      • 2022 Editorial Calendar
    • Digital Edition
  • Subscribe
    • Subscribe to E-Newsletter
  • EVENTS
    • TEAMS CONFERENCE & EXPO
    • EsportsTravel Summit
    • SportsTravel Road Trip
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram


Home > Latest News > Lake Placid World Cup Luge Race Moved to Russia

Lake Placid World Cup Luge Race Moved to Russia

International federation makes decision after visa issues with Russian and Georgian athletes

Posted On : August 31, 2021 By : Matt Traub
LakePlacidluge
Competitiors in the men's 5,000 meter event at the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles circle past the Olympic torch during the race on August 11, 1984. Los Angeles in 2028 will join London and Paris as the only three-time hosts of the Olympic Summer Games. (AP Photo, File)

USA Luge has seen its flagship World Cup stop in Lake Placid, New York, taken off the calendar by the International Luge Federation for the second year in a row after the FIL cited difficulty getting foreign athletes into the country during the pandemic.

The planned World Cup stops in Lake Placid along with Whistler, British Columbia, will both be held instead at the 2014 Sochi Olympic track in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, in late November and early December. The World Cup season will begin at the new track built for the 2022 Beijing Olympics on November 19.

There will be no World Cup events in bobsled, skeleton and luge in North America for a second consecutive season. Lake Placid lost a planned World Cup luge stop last season, as well as last winter’s world bobsled and skeleton championships, because of the pandemic.

USA Luge said the move out of Lake Placid stems from the inability of Russia and Georgia to get visa appointments, having set a deadline of August 11 so the two teams would travel to the U.S.

“The FIL was requiring a letter from USA Luge, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee or the State Department guaranteeing visa appointments for the Russian and Georgian teams by an imposed deadline of Aug. 10,” said USA Luge Chief Executive Officer Jim Leahy. “During COVID, most American embassies around the world closed and are now just beginning to reopen. The current protocol at the embassies with regard to appointments for visas is to prioritize those living in that country to apply for an appointment. With the U.S. Embassy in Russia closed due to political reasons, we tried through multiple channels over several weeks to get the Russians appointments at the American embassies in Latvia, Italy and Germany, but those efforts were fruitless as they are not residents of those countries. We also tried the Ukraine, but due to political reasons there, that U.S. embassy was not even an option for the Russians. The Georgians had the option in the Ukraine, but again since they are not residents, no appointment was possible by the FIL deadline. Our organization exhausted every possibility right up to the deadline.”

USA Luge also said the financial cost for the FIL to provide air charter service from Germany to Beijing to Vancouver to New York and back to Germany over the first five World Cup stops of the season was $2 million with a 50 percent deposit due August 11.

“Now it’s the pandemic and other issues, all non-athletic, that will prevent our athletes from having a home race in front of their families, friends and fans,” said Leahy. “It also negatively impacts our personal engagement with team sponsors and suppliers who would attend, may possibly keep us off NBC, eliminates key media coverage we would receive just two months prior to Beijing and ultimately does nothing to help grow the sport of luge in the U.S.”

The decision by the FIL for this year’s events means USA Luge will spend all of November and almost all of December overseas. It starts fall training in September in Sochi, Russia, before a camp in Lillehammer, Norway, at the 1994 Olympic course. USA Luge plans to have training in Lake Placid in mid-October before a trip starting October 20 at the 2002 Olympic course in Park City, Utah.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email
Posted in: Hosts & Suppliers, Latest News, National Governing Body, Olympic Sports, Sites & Venues, Sports Organizations, Winter SportsTagged : International Luge Federation,Jim Leahy,luge,USA Luge,winter sports

Post navigation

PBR World Finals Moves to Fort Worth Starting in 2022
USA Lacrosse to Host Super Sixes Event

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

sportstravel

Football is back! #football #nfl @broncos @dallas Football is back!

#football #nfl @broncos @dallascowboys #broncos #cowboys #denvsdal #stadium #sports
@travieshu, the first openly gay @nhra driver, wil @travieshu, the first openly gay @nhra driver, will compete at the Menards NHRA Nationals, sponsored by @visittopeka. Hear his story on the SportsTravel Podcast, at sportstravelmagazine.com!

#podcast #sportspodcast #nhra #dragracing #lgbtq #lgbt
Totaling more than 250,000 square feet of column-f Totaling more than 250,000 square feet of column-free contiguous space, Exposition Center 1 and 2 at @worldequestriancenter make for the perfect flexible space for sporting events. With climate-control and on-site concessions, groups can beat the Florida heat and enjoy spectating. Both expo centers are equipped with Jumbotron screens, high-speed Wi-Fi and on-site parking, and can be transformed into a variety of configurations suitable for everything from volleyball to cheerleading.
The latest SportsTravel Podcast is a great convers The latest SportsTravel Podcast is a great conversation with legendary surfer @xococoho. We talk about this week’s U.S. Open of Surfing, the challenges she’s faced in her career and surfing’s place on the Olympic program. 

To listen, visit SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major podcast platforms.

#surfing #podcast #podcasts #sportspodcasts #sportspodcast #sportstravel #sportstourism #worldsurfleague @wsl
The @dewtour returned to Des Moines this weekend a The @dewtour returned to Des Moines this weekend and the downtown Lauridsen Skatepark — the largest skatepark in the country. When it opened last year, it immediately hosted the tour, which served as an Olympic qualifier. This year’s event was free to the public, which came out in big numbers to see top stars compete in street and park competition in the massive venue. And incredible exposure for host @catchdesmoines along the way.

#skatepark #skateboard #dewtour @dsmskatepark #actionsports #sportsevents #sportsvenues
The @dewtour adaptive park competition was a crowd The @dewtour adaptive park competition was a crowd-pleaser with some of the best tricks and fan support of the entire weekend at @dsmskatepark in Des Moines.

#adaptivesports #adaptiveskateboarding #skatebording #dewtour @felipenunesskate @vinisardi
You saw him first at TEAMS ‘21 in Atlantic City You saw him first at TEAMS ‘21 in Atlantic City but last night, @heimana_reynolds lit up the course at the @dewtour in Des Moines! Who will be on the @teamsconference ‘22 program in Oklahoma City? Stay tuned, details coming soon!

#teams21 #skateboarding #skateboard #dewtour @playacsports @meet_ac @visitokc @northstarmeets @ntgtravel
Time sheets: If you’re an event organizer, you k Time sheets: If you’re an event organizer, you know.

Swimming at the State Games of America was held at the @wellmarkymca in downtown Des Moines and was one of the most popular of sports offered, as was evident on the wall.

#swimming #timesheets #eventorganizer #sportsevents #youthsports @catchdesmoines @iowagames
Long jump is for all ages. In fact, track and fiel Long jump is for all ages. In fact, track and field is the most participated sport at the State Games of America, with all ages represented. The oldest athlete at the games is an 88-year-old man from Iowa competing in track. The youngest is a 4-year-old, also competing in track.

#longjump #track #trackandfield #stategames #seniors #jumping @iowagames @iowastateu @discover_ames
Welcome to light saber, part fencing, part cosplay Welcome to light saber, part fencing, part cosplay, part martial arts, all fun. And featured at the State Games of America.

#lightsaber #saber @iowagames #stategames #starwars #whoooomp @discover_ames @iowastateu
Athletes from 46 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islan Athletes from 46 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada are competing this weekend at the State Games of America in Ames and Des Moines, Iowa. One highlight is getting to mark your hometown on the map.

#stategames @discover_ames @catchdesmoines @iowagames #map #sports #youthsports #amateursports #geography
Iowa is wrestling country and at the State Games o Iowa is wrestling country and at the State Games of America in Ames, wrestling is one of the most popular and passionate sports across all age groups, even those too young to get on the mat.

#wrestling #stategames @discover_ames @iowagames @iowastateu #competition
More than 16,000 athletes, officials and spectator More than 16,000 athletes, officials and spectators from 46 states are in Ames and Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend for the State Games of America, organized by the National Congress of State Games across 30 venues. SportsTravel is on hand and will share some of the action, which covers dozens of sports, including competitive yoga, light saber and more.

#stategames @catchdesmoines @discover_ames @iowastateu @iowagames #iowa #lightsaber #wrestling #yoga #track #archery #cauldron #soccer #youthsoccer
For the first time, the SportsTravel Road Trip tra For the first time, the SportsTravel Road Trip traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, in partnership with @gotolouisville and @sportsinlou. The program featured an opening night at @angelsenvy distillery, education at the @kfcyumcenter with sessions on future Olympic sports and the growth of @uslchampionship, and a game at the incredible @lynnfamilystadium between @louisvillecityfc and @phxrisingfc. It was the first time the event was held outside of its original home in Colorado Springs.

#sportstourism #louisville #sportstravel #sportsbusiness
Dodger Stadium is one of the best venues to watch Dodger Stadium is one of the best venues to watch a sporting event and the iconic stadium didn’t disappoint last night during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Gearing up for the 92nd MLB All-Star Game. There’s a large Yankees presence here, both past and present.
Last night was all about Washington Nationals supe Last night was all about Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto, who won his first MLB Home Run Derby.
MLB All-Star Weekend MLB All-Star Weekend
TEAMS Europe is a wrap! The launch of our TEAMS Co TEAMS Europe is a wrap! The launch of our TEAMS Conference in the UK at the ExCeL in London was an astounding success. And we were delighted to have Lord Sebastian Coe as our keynote on the 10-year anniversary of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Special thanks to all our speakers and the HMS Belfast for a memorable opening night. Can’t wait for the next one and for our U.S. event, October 24-27, 2022, in Oklahoma City!
The latest SportsTravel Podcast is a deep dive on The latest SportsTravel Podcast is a deep dive on the new @sports_eta State of the Industry report, detailing how fast the industry recovered in 2021. Hear from Al Kidd and Jennifer Stoll on what that recovery looked like and take away lessons from the data that you can use to advocate for the importance of the industry.

To listen, visit SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major podcast platforms.

And special thanks to @myrtlebeachconventioncenter for sponsoring this episode!

#podcast #sportspodcast #research #sports #sportsbiz #sportsbusiness #economicimpact
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • USA Gymnastics: Abortion Laws to Play Role in Future Site Selection
  • NBA 2022–2023 Schedule Includes Games in Japan, Mexico City and Paris
  • ASM Global, Honeycomb Strategies Partner on Sustainable Venues Future
  • National Cycling League Announces 2023 Start Date
  • Oklahoma City Seeking Bids for New Fairgrounds Arena
Sports Travel Magazine

About Us

Since 1997, SportsTravel magazine has served the sports‐related travel and event industry. It is the only publication written and designed to serve the people who organize, manage and host sporting events of all types at all levels.

  • Subscribe to E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • SportsTravel Foundation
  • Supplied Content
  • Privacy
  • Terms

NORTHSTAR TRAVEL MEDIA SITES

  • Northstar Meetings Group
  • Meetings & Conventions
  • Meetings & Conventions Asia
  • Meetings & Conventions China
  • Successful Meetings
  • Incentive
  • Meeting News
  • Retail Travel
  • Travel Technology
  • Corporate Travel
  • Hotel Investment
  • Data Products
  • See All Northstar Brands

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Sports ETA

Destinations International
Northstar Travel Media LLC Copyright © 2022 by Northstar Travel Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000
scroll to top