From an athlete to FIL Sports Coordinator

In order to organize high- scale events in Sport of Luge in Latvia or anywhere else in the world, you need to have passionate people, who dedicate their whole life to develop this sport. These kind of people can be found and work for the International Luge Federation (FIL). One of these people is Maria- Luise Rainer, FIL Sports Coordinator.

- What’s your story- How many years are you involved in the sport of luge? Why did you choose luge? For Italians skiing has been the most popular sport for decades.

- I am involved in Luge since 40 years (internationally). Being an athlete for 14 years internationally (competing at four Olympic Games), as a coach (Head coach in Italy from 1992 till 1996 and Canada from 1998 -2003) and as an Official (from 2003 –2015).
The reason I chose Luge: Well, I had the opportunity to enter in a Luge club near my home which had been offering/providing me with coaching staff and also with sliding equipment.

- What do you like about sport of luge?

- It was the speed and the competition and the excitement of the sport of Luge.

- After retiring from luge as a professional athlete, did you ever consider doing anything else?

- Not really, due to the fact that I got already an offer as an athlete to coach during my last sliding season. So this was always my dream job (over 20 years) I was looking for.

- You are the FIL Sport Coordinator. How did you end up being in this position?

- Well, I was going through many jobs prior I got the position as the FIL Sports Director.
As I mentioned above, having been an athlete, a head coach in two different countries and an official, I had a lot of experience in all different kinds with the sport of Luge, which helped.
After that I was the Technical Delegate for the junior circuit (over 7 years). Also during this period of time I worked few times as the Race director at the Olympic Winter Games 2006, World Championships 2007 and several World Cups.

- What are your responsibilities as a FIL Sport Coordinator?

- Well there are quite a few: Setting up the competition schedule in cooperation with IBSF/FIBT, scheduling all Officials for the competitions, chair of the evaluation working group, evaluating all the competitions, deputy chair of the FIL Sport Commission (preparing the meetings, protocols), chair of the working group event and race formats. Taking care/Updating the rule book etc.

- What do you do during the summer- in between competition seasons?

- You won’t believe it, but I am almost working every day something for Luge. There is not so much time off.
If so, I am going for a hike, climbing and working on my farm and forest and spending time with friends.

- This title means that during the winter season, and prior, you travel all the time. Do you ever get tired of it? What are, in your opinion, the pros and cons of this kind of schedule/ lifestyle?

- Yes, during the winter season I am travelling, as it is the main work to be done. Prior to the season I have to do all the pre- check meetings with all the World Cup and World Championship organizers, which means I am travelling the tour twice.
So far I still like my job and I am not tired yet.

There are not so many pros besides seeing more of the world and different cultures and of course all the challenging aspects you have to deal with.

The cons are of course (as a women) are that it would not be possible to have a family with kids at home and also not having so much time for friends.
But being around in this kind of world, for such a long time already (40 years), I am honestly getting used to it.

- Having to travel so much and meeting so many people, from different countries, I’m sure you’ve experienced all kinds of situations. Does any particular one come in mind? The funniest, strangest one, etc.

- Yes, you are definitely right on that.
Especially at the beginning of my work as the Sports director interesting things happened.
I do not want to go in detail regarding that.

- What are the most common mistakes that event organizers make?

- Almost all the organizers are on a very high level.
There are not many mistakes out there anymore. I am very happy how the progress is going.

- How is sport of luge developing, from your point of view?

- From my point of view some things sometimes could progress a bit faster to be well represented at the audience.

- If we look back in the past and compare to today’s situation. Are the athletes the same today as they were back in the day, when you were an athlete?

- Oh no, this has changed. Now it is much more professional than back in the seventies and eighties. At this time there was no TV broadcasting at all besides Olympic Games.
In my opinion we had much more fun at this time, more time to meet with each other and fewer competitions than now and most of them in central Europe as Austria, Germany and Eastern Germany.

- What’s the difference between Latvian athletes and Italian athletes?

- Well, I cannot really answer this question. I have never worked with Latvian athletes, but I think everyone is working hard to reach the intended/expected goals in both countries. So I do not see any major differences.

- To make sport of luge more attractive to the spectators, team relay was implemented. Is there anything else planned to implement in a near future?

- Yes, I am very happy to have the team relay as an Olympic discipline (since the Sochi Games 2014) and to have the already realised FIL Sprint World Cup (2014-15 season) and I am very proud that we will have the 1st Sprint World Championships in Königssee in the upcoming 2015-16 season as a premiere.
Beside that we (the whole Luge family including media and TV) have to work hard to keep the sport of Luge attractive and interesting for the audience.

- What are you expecting from the upcoming season?

- I hope that we can have good organized competitions in the future as well, good participation, accident free sliding and my biggest desire, to always remain in the Olympic program with our sport of Luge.