The Austrian municipality was also chosen to stage the Natural Track World Junior Championships in 2020.

Both decisions were made at the recent FIL Congress in Lake Placid, which has twice hosted the Winter Olympic Games.

Sankt Sebastian, the northernmost point in Styria, played host to the FIL Natural Track World Championships last year.

The track spans 1,033 metres in length and has a gradient of 11.5 per cent.

Passeier in Italy held the most recent Natural Track European Championships in February of this year.

The biennial competition has been held since 1970, where Kapfenberg in Austria staged the inaugural edition.

Natural tracks are one of two facilities which form the main part of the FIL competition calendar along with artificial tracks.

The sport’s worldwide governing body hold several major events on natural tracks, including World, European and Junior Championships and a World Cup series.

Six competitions formed the 2015 to 2016 World Cup season as meetings were held in Italy, Austria, Romania and Russia.

Natural tracks are adapted from existing mountain roads and paths and artificially banked curves are not permitted.

They must be horizontal and they are naturally iced as there is no artificial refrigeration.