By Duncan Mackay

Sanki Sliding CentreJune 21 - Sochi will host the 2017 Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships, the first time Russia will have ever staged the event, it was announced today. 


The decision to award the Championships to the Russian city currently preparing to host next year's Winter Olympics and Paralympics ahead of rival bids from Altenberg in Germany, Lake Placid in the United States and Whistler in Canada was taken at the 84th International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (FIBT) Congress in Gdynia, Poland.

The Championships will be staged at the Sanki Sliding Centre, the new RUB 135.7 million (£2.7 million/$4.1 million/€3.1 million) facility built for the 2014 Winter Olympics and which is located in Rzhanaya Polyana, 60 kilometres notheast of Sochi.

Located 1,215 metres above sea level, the track has permanent seating for 500, temporary seating for 500, and a standing room for 10,000.

The track start for bobsleigh and skeletton is at 1,365m and has a total of 19 turns. 

This year's Championships were staged in St Mortiz, where Russian Alexander Tretiakov won the gold medal in the men's skeleton and the Russian men's four won a silver behind Germany.

Alexander Tretiakov St Moritz 2013Alexander Tretiakov won the men's skeleton at the 2013 World Championships in St Moritz

There are no World Championships next year due to Sochi 2014 but the 2015 event is scheduled for Winterberg in Germany while 2016 has been awarded to Igls in Austria. 

It was also decided today to unanimously to award next year's Congress to Monaco. 

Prince Albert, the sovereign of Monaco, represented the country in the bobsleigh at five consecutive Olympics between Calgary in 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002. 

He is the founder and President of the Monegasque Federations of Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
November 2012: Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic ice track set for first test