Josef Fendt from Berchtesgaden was re-elected President of the Interna-tional Luge Federation (FIL) with a great majority.

At the 50th Cogress in St. Wolfgang at lake Wolfgangsee/ Austria, the two-time World Champion and Silver Medalist at the 1976 Olympic Winter Games clearly won against his rival Dwight Bell, former President of the US Luge Federation (USLA).

Fendt received 29 votes of the 42 countries – a record par-ticipation – while only 13 nations voted for Bell. „I am deeply impressed by this vast major-ity’, said Fendt after the election.

Fendt was elected successor to the deceased founding President Bert Isatitsch from Aus-tria in Rome in 1994 and will now start his third term of office.

The following persons were also confirmed in their offices: Svein Romstad (USA) as Sec-retary General, Harald Steyrer (Austria) as Vice-President for Finance, Claire DelNegro (USA) as Vice-President Sport, Einars Fogelis (Latvia) as Vice-President Technical Affairs (Artificial Track) as well as Werner Kropsch (Austria) as Vice-President Sport (Natural Track). Alfred Jud (Italy) joined the Executive Board as Vice-President for Technical Af-fairs (Natural Track). Björn Dyrdahl (Norway) and Valeri Silakov (Russia) were elected memebers at large. Geoff Balme (New Zealand) stays in his office as Vice-President for Oceani; Tsuguto Kitano (Japan) will be Vice-President for Asia for another term of office. Old and new Vice-President for International Affairs is Jan Steler (France).

Winterberg will be host to the 2006 European Championships; Altenberg was awarded the 2006 World Junior Championships after voting (23:19).

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