The Fastest Sport on Ice

Like its cousin, bobsled, the sport of luge is known for its breakneck speed, hairpin turns, and the high potential for crashes. This, if you ask me, makes for a pretty great sport.



2006 Winter Olympic Results

Men's Singles
Gold-Armin Zoggeler (Italy)
Silver-Albert Demtschenko (Russia)
Bronze-Mārtiņš Rubenis (Latvia)

Women's Singles
Gold-Sylke Otto (Germany)
Silver-Silke Kraushaar (Germany)
Bronze-Tatjana Hufner (Germany)

Doubles
Gold- Andreas Linger and Wolfgang Linger (Austria)
Silver- André Florschütz and Torsten Wustlich (Germany)
Bronze- Gerhard Plankensteiner and Oswald Haselrieder (Italy)

US Outlook: 2009 has been a great year for US luge so far, with plenty of speed and excitement, and several key wins, which is a good sign going into preparations for Vancouver. Erin Hamlin shocked the world at the World Championships on February 6th in Lake Placid, when she became the first non-German to win a luge World Championship in 16 years. At the same event Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin took the bronze medal in the two-man competition. Then, at the Norton National Championships, Tony Benshoof took the gold medal for men’s singles, alongside Hamlin, Grimmette and Martin. Despite the German dominance on the women's side, Hamlin's shocking victory in Lake Placid may signal a new era for women's luge. On the men's side, although Benshoof, Grimmette and Martin have looked strong this season, it's not likely that they'll be able to break the stronghold that Europe has on the event.