Altenberg (RWH) The Bobsleigh athletes kick off their IBSF Europe Cup (EC) race series 2018/19 in Altenberg (AUT). The first official training runs are scheduled from December 3 onwards, the first races for December 6-8.

Here are some facts and stats:

-          The IBSF Europe Cup is partly divided in a Skeleton and a Bobsleigh tour -the Skeleton athletes started in November in Innsbruck.

-          In race series like the IBSF Europe Cup you can meet the younger and future stars of icetrack sports: lots of athletes begin their sliding career here before qualifying for their national World Cup, World Championships or Olympic teams.

-          At the Kick-off IBSF Europe Cup Bobsleigh in Altenberg, athletes from 13 nations are currently registered.

-          Last season’s EC Bobsleigh winners were Christin Senkel (GER, 2-woman Bobsleigh) and Christoph Hafer (GER, 2-man and 4-man Bobsleigh).

-          For the first time this year, the Junior European Champions are crowned in a race-in-race mode during IBSF Europe Cup: The final EC races in each discipline (for 4-man Bobsleigh on January 12, 2019, in Innsbruck (AUT) and for 2-woman and 2-man Bobsleigh on January 25 + 26 in Sigulda (LAT)) also count as Continental Championships for the Junior Bobsleigh athletes from Europe.

-          Even if it’s called „Europe Cup“, all nations may participate with a total of four bobsleigh pilots per discipline and nation.

 -          If there’s a BMW IBSF World Cup race the same time as an IBSF Europe Cup, the following rule applies: the male pilots placed among the top 12 and the female pilots placed among the top 8 of the current IBSF discipline ranking will not be admitted to the Europe Cup races, unless the respective nation uses its entire World Cup quota.

 The schedule of IBSF Europe Cup Bobsleigh 2018/2019 (PDF)

Photo: IBSF / Viesturs Lacis