| The Person |
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| There were and are not many top athletes who rose to the
highest position in their world federations. The two-time luge World Champion
Josef Fendt from Berchtesgaden is one of the few exceptions. After the death
of Bert Isatitsch of Austria, the founder of the Fédération Internationale
de Luge de Course (FIL) in February 1994, he became acting President, and
at the 43rd FIL Congress in Rome on June 25, 1994, he was officially and
unanimously elected as President. During the FIL Congress in Colorado Springs
in June 1998, he was again unanimously re-elected as President for another
4 years. |
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| Although known in the past as a rather good-natured and
calm person, Fendt has also developed ambitions regarding the federation’s
politics. The real profession of the 1.80 m and 90 kg "Sepp" Fendt who graduated
in administration (college), is managing director for the municipality of
Berchtesgaden. His free time is devoted to his family which includes his
daughter Christina, born in May 1983. Together with her and his wife Renate,
he can enjoy his favourite leisure-time activities: hiking, skiing, travel
and photography. |
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| Sport Career |
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| Josef Fendt started his career as luge athlete after the
1964 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck. Since the beginning of the seventies,
he belonged to the best drivers of the world. In 1970 on his hometrack in
Königssee, he surprisingly won the World Championships against the powerful
rivalry of the elite athletes from the German Democratic Republic. He was
able to repeat this success in 1974. In 1971, he became German champion
for the first time. He successfully defended this title in 1972. In the
same year during the Olympic Winter Games in Sapporo, he finished in sixth
place. During the European Championships of 1972, he finished in fourth
place, and in the following year, in 1973, in second place. In 1974, he
became German champion for the third time and for the fourth time in 1975.
Later on, Fendt served as honorary Sport Director for luge in the German
Bobsleigh and Sled Sport Federation for many years. |
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| Fendt’s international career as sport official began in
1985 at the latest when he became the Vice-President Artificial Track Sport
of the FIL, but before that, he was a member of the Sport Commission Artificial
Track. Fendt is only the fourth president of an International Federation
with German origin. Prior to his election, he paved the way for his career
with the establishment of a federation’s office in Berchtesgaden. From his
workplace, the city hall in Berchtesgaden, he only has to make a few steps
to get to the FIL office, which - this decision also proves Fendt’s pragmatic
style of leadership - is managed by Hartmut Kardaetz, former General Secretary
of the East German Bobsleigh and Luge Federation. |
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| As FIL President, Josef Fendt is directing his special
attention to the Olympic status of the sport of luge. With the support of
athletes belonging to smaller federations, his predecessor Isatitsch laid
the foundation for the continuation of the sport during his 37 years of
work. Fendt has continued this idea and presented supporting programs to
the member federations. However, he does not want to solely rely on the
funds from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which derived from
television rights, so he succeeded in finding as well a general sponsor
(Viessmann) for the World Cup. |
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