U.S. Outlook: The United States has seen its fortunes in the luge rise dramatically in the past few years,
and many think this will be the year the Americans claim their first medal in a
sport dominated by Europeans.
However, U.S. hopes for glory in Nagano suffered a serious blow when veteran
Duncan Kennedy, the most well-known and highly decorated American luger,
was sidelined in October with dizziness and nausea caused by a lesion in the
brain stem. After a month on the sidelines, Kennedy was cleared to resume
training and was scheduled to compete in Calgary on Dec. 20. But after
consulting further with doctors, Kennedy abruptly announced his retirement from
competition. Kennedy, 29, won 21 international medals in his 17-year career.
That leaves Wendel Suckow, who had moved past Kennedy as the top U.S.
rider, as the best American hope in Nagano. Suckow won the 1993 World
Championship and was fifth at Lillehammer in 1994.
The best American medal hope, however, actually comes in doubles, where the
team of Chris Thorpe and Gordy Sheer is the reigning world champion. The
twosome claimed five medals in seven races on the World Cup circuit last year,
including three golds. Behind them is Mark Grimmette
and Brian Martin, who won this season's first two World Cup events.
Veteran Cammy Myler returns to lead the U.S. women. Myler was a member of
the 1988, 1992 and 1994 Olympic teams. Her fifth-place finish at Albertville in
1992 is the best by an American women in Olympic competition.
Others to watch: Two-time Olympic gold medalist Georg Hackl of Germany will be back to try
for a third, but he will be pressed by Austrian Markus Prock, who was second to
Hackl at both Albertville and Lillehammer. Also contending will be Austria's
Gerhard Gleirscher and Italy's Armin Zoeggler.
The U.S. doubles hopefuls will face a stiff challenge from Austrian brothers
Tobias and Markus Schiegl and Germany's three-time Olympic medalists, Stefan
Krausse and Jan Behrendt.
Defending Olympic champion Gerda Weissensteiner should be favored once
again in the women's competition, with Austrian sisters Doris and Angelika
Neuner, Germany's Jana Bode, the 1996 world champion, and Austria's Andrea
Tagwerker, the 1997 world champion, also contending.
Looking Back at Lillehammer:
In men's singles, Germany's Georg Hackl won the gold medal again, beating Austria's Markus Prock by .013 of a second — the narrowest margin in history. Italy's Armin Zoeggeler took the bronze. Kennedy, comfortably in fourth place at the beginning of his third run, flew into a turn too fast and crashed. Suckow, however, finished fifth, the best finish for an American in the Olympics. Kennedy drew international attention in October 1993 when he was beaten while defending teammate Robert Pipkins from a group of neo-Nazi skinheads while training in Germany.
In men's doubles, Italy's Huber brothers made headlines — not by winning together, though, but by being part of the two winning pairs. Wilfred Huber won the gold medal with teammate Kurt Brugger, and Norbert Huber took the silver with teammate Hansjorg Raffl. U.S. sleds finished a surprising fourth and
fifth, just out of the medals, in the Olympic two-man final and raising hopes for the future.
Weissensteiner gave Italy its first gold medal in women's luge since 1968. Myler was the top American finisher at 11th.
Gold Medalists:
