The decision was taken by the organisation’s Youth and Development Commission during a virtual meeting.

Hans-Jürgen Köhne, the Commission's vice-chair, said the integration of women’s doubles luge to the Junior World Cup circuit would help its prospects of being added as an Olympic discipline in the future.

"The Commission supports that in the coming winter the women's doubles of the general class should compete in the Junior World Cup,” Köhne said.

"This was a very important step that the Sports Commission worked out at its meeting on 15 May and it will be very crucial for the ladies.

"In three racing classes, from the Youth A to the general class, we would have all women's doubles in the Junior World Cup and can act flexibly with the starting heights.

"In addition, according to the FIL development programme, there will be a third FIL group in the future, which is exclusively concerned with development work and has the goal of preparing the young athletes for participation in the Youth A and Junior World Cup.

“All in all, we have experienced a very successful Commission meeting and are looking positively into the future, especially for the application for a possible new Olympic discipline, the women's doubles.”

The FIL last year announced it has applied for natural track luge and women’s doubles to be added to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic programme.

The governing body is seeking to add women's doubles to its top level World Cup circuit.

At present, only men's doubles is part of the flagship tour alongside the men's and women's singles and the team relay, a programme mirrored at the Winter Olympics.

Efforts to develop women's doubles have followed International Olympic Committee demands for gender equality across all sports at the Games.

Women's doubles enjoyed a successful appearance at the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

The FIL said its Commission also discussed the further use of the standard sleds for women and proposals for future sled standards for the men's doubles.

The sports calendar for the upcoming season was also discussed, along with starting heights and international training weeks.

The FIL Commission also held a minute’s silence in honour of its former chair Sepp Benz, who died in February.