Sprint luge will be contested at four FIL World Cups next season ©Getty Images

The International Luge Federation (FIL) has announced that sprint World Cup races will be held at the 2017-18 season finale in Sigulda.

Action in the quick-fire format will take place at the Latvian track in men's and women's singles, as well as men's doubles.

All four Olympic disciplines - men's, women's, doubles and team relay - will also be contested as the World Cup season concludes between January 27 and 28.

It means that the FIL will hold sprint events at four World Cups in a single season for the first time.

Sprint events had already been confirmed for 2017-18 in Canadian city Calgary, Lake Placid in the United States and Lillehammer in Norway.

The format was added to the World Cup circuit by the FIL from the 2014-15 season, while it debuted at the World Championships in Königssee in Germany last year.

Wolfgang Kindl is the reigning men's sprint luge world champion ©Getty Images
Wolfgang Kindl is the reigning men's sprint luge world champion ©Getty Images

Winners are decided after just one run, with the clock starting from further down the course after a flying start.

The sprint events are not yet on the Olympic schedule where regular two-run luge is contested.

Austrian Wolfgang Kindl and American Erin Hamlin won the men's and women's sprint titles respectively at this year's World Championships in Innsbruck.

The doubles title at the Austrian track was won by Germans Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt.