Armin Zöggeler OMRI is a retired Italian luger and double Olympic champion. He is one of the most successful men in the sport, nicknamed Il Cannibale, for his notable series of victories, or The Iceblood Champion, for his always cold, rational approach to the races. Fellow luger Tucker West described Zöggeler as the sport's equivalent of Michael Jordan.
Gerhard Plankensteiner is an Italian former luger who competed from 1986 to 2010. Together with Oswald Haselrieder he won the bronze medal in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Oswald Haselrieder OMRI is an Italian former luger who competed internationally from 1988 to 2010. He achieved success at junior level, taking two bronze medals in singles and a gold in doubles at the World Junior Championships, the latter achieved in partnership with Dietmar Pierhofer. Haselrider and Pierhofer continued to compete together until 1995, when they split up and Haselrieder joined forces with Gerhard Plankensteiner. Haselrieder went on to win the bronze medal in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin after competing in three previous Winter Olympic Games: in 1992 in the singles event and in doubles in 1998 and 2002. He went on to compete in a fifth Olympics in 2010: he retired soon afterwards after sustaining an injury in training in March of that year.
Kurt Brugger is an Italian luger and coach who competed from 1987 to 2003. Together with Wilfried Huber, he won the men's doubles event at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. He competed in four Winter Olympics: 1988, 1992, 1994 and 1998.
Wilfried Huber is an Italian luger and coach who competed from 1985 to 2010. Together with Kurt Brugger, he won the men's doubles event at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. He competed in both doubles and singles, but enjoyed his greatest success in doubles in partnership with Brugger. He made his debut in the Luge World Cup in 1986-87 season. He also took two medals at the World Junior Championships in Olang in 1988, a silver and a bronze. He competed in six Winter Olympics, in 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006: he was aiming to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics, however he was not selected by the Italian team's head coach Walter Plaikner, and retired at the end of the season.
Jochen Pietzsch is a former East German luger who competed during the mid-1980s. Together with Jörg Hoffmann, he won two medals in the men's doubles event with a gold in 1988 and a bronze in 1984.
Klaus Bonsack, also known as Klaus-Michael Bonsack, was an East German luger who competed during the 1960s and early 1970s.
Paul Hildgartner is an Italian former luger who competed from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. Competing in five Winter Olympics, he earned two gold medals and one silver medal for his efforts. At the 1984 Winter Olympics, Hildgartner carried the Italian flag during the opening ceremonies.
Josef Feistmantl was an Austrian luger who competed from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. He competed at three Olympic Games.
Ewald Walch was an Austrian luger who competed from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble.
Fritz Nachmann is a West German former luger who competed during the 1950s and the 1960s. He was born in Kreuth. He won the bronze medal in the men's doubles event at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Nachmann also won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four medals in men's doubles and one medal in men's singles. He also won a silver medal in the men's singles event at the 1967 FIL European Luge Championships in Königssee, West Germany.
Horst Hörnlein is a former East German luger and bobsleigh coach who competed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He and Reinhard Bredow won the gold medal in the men's doubles event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo.
Reinhard Bredow is an East German former luger who competed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He and Horst Hörnlein won the gold medal in the men's doubles event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo.
Hans Brandner is a German former luger who competed for West Germany from the early 1970s to the early 1980s. Competing in three Winter Olympics, He won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at Innsbruck in 1976.
Karl Brunner was an Italian luger who competed from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. He won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
Hans Stangassinger was a West German luger who competed in the early 1980s. He won the gold medal in the men's doubles event at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
Franz Wembacher was a West German luger who competed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He won the gold medal in the men's doubles event at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
The FIL World Luge Championships 2011 took place 28–30 January 2011 in Cesana, Italy at the Cesana Pariol bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track. A total of 19 countries competed.
The men's luge at the 2010 Winter Olympics took place on 13–14 February 2010 at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. Germany's Felix Loch was the two-time defending world champion and won the gold medal with the fastest time in each of the four runs. The test event that took place at the venue was won by Germany's David Möller, who would win the silver medal in this event. Italy's Armin Zöggeler was the two-time defending Olympic champion and won a bronze medal in this event. The last World Cup event prior to the 2010 games took place in Cesana, Italy on 30 January 2010 and was won by Zöggeler, who also won the overall World Cup title.
Italy 
