Erin Hamlin

Last updated

Erin Hamlin
2017-02-26 Erin Hamlin by Sandro Halank-2.jpg
Hamlin in February 2017
Personal information
Full nameErin Mullady Hamlin
BornNovember 19, 1986 (1986-11-19) (age 37)
New Hartford, New York, United States
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight161 lb (73 kg)
Sport
SportLuge
Medal record
Women's Luge
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Event1st2nd3rd
Olympic Games 001
World Championships 220
Total221
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2014 Sochi Singles
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2009 Lake Placid Singles
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2017 Igls Sprint
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Igls Singles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Igls Mixed team

Erin Mullady Hamlin [1] (born 19 November 1986) is a four-time Olympian [2] and the first female American luger to medal at any Winter Olympics, as well as the first American of either gender to medal in luge singles competition [3] [4] and the first non-European woman to take an Olympic medal in luge. [5] She took the singles bronze medal in Sochi's 2014 Winter Olympics, something the Associated Press called "a feat that will surely go down as perhaps the greatest moment in USA Luge history". [6]

Contents

Career

At age 12 Hamlin took an interest in luge and attended the U.S. Luge Screening Camp in Syracuse, NY. By age 17 Hamlin won a gold medal at the Junior National Luge Championship held in Lake Placid, NY. At this event Hamlin finished first in the women's singles race with a two-run time of 1-minute, 34.097 seconds. [7]

In 2004, Hamlin won ten medals in five years of racing. Hamlin raced in the Junior World Cups held in Germany and Austria. She participated in the Junior World Championships. She placed seventh in the 2004 Junior World Cups, making her a U.S. junior national luge champion where she competed around the world as a member of the U.S. Junior National Team.

In 2006 Hamlin represented the United States at the Olympic Games held in Torino, Italy and again in 2010 when the Olympic Games were held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She had been viewed as a medal contender for the 2010 Games after she had enjoyed her best Luge World Cup season to date, placing fourth in the 2009-10 season standings, however she could only finish 16th at the Games themselves. [5]

In 2009, Hamlin placed first at the FIL World Luge Championships held in Lake Placid, New York. This marked the first time in 99 races that a German woman was not the top finisher. [8] It also made her the first American to win a world championship in luge. [9] In addition, Hamlin and third-placed Natalia Yakushenko were the first non-German world championship medallists in women's luge since the Austrian Angelika Neuner in 1997. [10]

In 2014 Hamlin earned a bronze medal at the Olympic Games held in Sochi, Russia.

Other accomplishments include 2017 World Championship silver medalist, 2017 World Champion in sprint discipline, 2017 World Championship silver medalist as lead leg in team relay, 4 World Cup victories, 23 World Cup medals. [11]

Hamlin competed in her fourth and last Winter Olympics at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She was selected as the U.S. Flag Bearer in the Opening Ceremony on February 9. [12]

Personal life

A native of Remsen, New York, Hamlin also makes her home in Lake Placid. She is the daughter of Eileen and Ronald Hamlin who both reside in Remsen. Hamlin attended Remsen Junior-Senior High School where she was a Sectional All-Star in both soccer and track. Hamlin graduated in 2004.

In 2009, Hamlin became a spokesperson for the National Headache Foundation in the wake of her suffering migraine headaches. [2]

Hamlin is sponsored by Adirondack Bank and has appeared in print advertisements and commercials that air locally in the Utica/Rome area. [13]

Hamlin retired after the 2018 Winter Olympic Games saying, "I can now officially, officially say that I'm done. Done. Now that I'm qualified I can say that I'm out [after the Games]." [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georg Hackl</span> German luger (born 1966)

Georg Hackl, often named Hackl Schorsch, is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst, a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerda Weissensteiner</span> Italian bobsledder and luger

Gerda Weissensteiner OMRI is an Italian luger and bobsleigh pilot who competed from the late 1980s to 2006. Competing in six Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles luge event at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, and together with Jennifer Isacco she won the bronze in Turin in the two-woman bobsleigh at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She was the first Italian sportsperson to win Olympic medals in two disciplines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susi Erdmann</span> German bobsledder and luger

Susi-Lisa Erdmann is an East German-German luger and bobsledder who competed from 1977 to 1998 in luge, then since 1999 in bobsleigh. She was born in Blankenburg, Bezirk Magdeburg. Competing in five Winter Olympics, she won two medals in the women's singles luge event with a silver in 1994 and a bronze in 1992, and a bronze at the inaugural two-women bobsleigh event in 2002. She is one of only two people to ever win a medal in both bobsleigh and luge at the Winter Olympics; Italy's Gerda Weissensteiner is the other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miroslav Zajonc</span> Slovakian luger

Miroslav "Miro" Zajonc is a Slovak-born luger who competed for Czechoslovakia, Canada, and the United States. Competing for Canada, he won the gold medal in the men's singles event at the 1983 FIL World Luge Championships in Lake Placid, New York, in four record breaking runs. He represented the United States at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FIL World Luge Championships 2009</span>

The FIL World Luge Championships 2009 ran on 1–8 February 2009 at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Lake Placid, New York, United States for the second time after having hosted the event in 1983. They were awarded the event at the 2006 FIL Congress in Berchtesgaden, Germany.

The FIL World Luge Championships 2011 took place 28–30 January 2011 in Cesana, Italy at the Cesana Pariol bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track. A total of 19 countries competed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Geisenberger</span> German luger (born 1988)

Natalie Geisenberger is a German luger. Widely regarded as one of the greatest lugers of all time, she is a nine-time World champion and six-time Olympic champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johannes Ludwig</span> German luger

Johannes Ludwig is an Olympic gold medal-winning German luger who has competed since 1996. He won a bronze medal in the Team relay event at the FIL European Luge Championships 2010 in Sigulda. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Ludwig won the bronze medal in the men's singles luge and the gold in the team relay luge, along with his teammates Natalie Geisenberger, Tobias Wendl, and Tobias Arlt. Then at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, he won the gold medal in the Men's singles race.

The men's luge at the 2010 Winter Olympics took place on 13–14 February 2010 at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. Germany's Felix Loch was the two-time defending world champion and won the gold medal with the fastest time in each of the four runs. The test event that took place at the venue was won by Germany's David Möller, who would win the silver medal in this event. Italy's Armin Zöggeler was the two-time defending Olympic champion and won a bronze medal in this event. The last World Cup event prior to the 2010 games took place in Cesana, Italy on 30 January 2010 and was won by Zöggeler, who also won the overall World Cup title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luge at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's singles</span>

The women's luge at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada took place on 15–16 February at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. Germany's Sylke Otto was the two-time defending Olympic champion. Otto retired midway through the 2006-07 season in January 2007 to pregnancy and after suffering a crash at the track in Königssee, Germany. Erin Hamlin of the United States was the defending world champion. The test event that took place at the venue was won by Germany's Natalie Geisenberger. The last World Cup event prior to the 2010 games took place in Cesana, Italy on 31 January 2010 and was won by Geisenberger. Geisenberger's teammate Tatjana Hüfner, the defending Olympic bronze medalist, won the overall World Cup for 2009-10 season in women's singles.

The doubles luge event at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held on 17 February at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. Twenty teams participated. Austrian brothers Andreas and Wolfgang Linger, the defending Olympic and European champions, won the gold medal. The silver medal was also won by a pair of brothers, Andris and Juris Šics of Latvia. Germans Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch clinched the bronze medal after edging out Italians Christian Oberstolz and Patrick Gruber, who were in third place after the first run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucker West</span> American luger

Tucker West is an American luger who, at the age of 18, was the youngest male ever to qualify to represent the United States in the men's luge at the Olympics. West placed 22nd in the men's single competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Gleirscher</span> Austrian luger

David Gleirscher is an Austrian luger. He competed for Austria in the 2015–16 Luge World Cup in the men's singles and finished tenth in the points standings. In men's luge at the 2018 Winter Olympics he became a surprise champion after the favorite, Felix Loch, made a mistake in the last run and dropped out of the medals. Before the Olympic win, Gleirscher did not have a single World Cup podium appearance.

The women's luge at the 2018 Winter Olympics was held between 12 and 13 February 2018 at the Alpensia Sliding Centre near Pyeongchang, South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Taubitz</span> German luger (born 1996)

Julia Taubitz is a German luger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Berreiter</span> German luger (born 1999)

Anna Berreiter is a German luger. She is the 2023 World and European Champion and silver medallist at the 2022 Winter Olympics. A two-time Under-23 World Champion, Berreiter was also part of the German squad that took the World team relay title in 2023 and has won further 1 silver and 1 bronze medals in sprint discipline at the World Championships level. She is the youngest woman to win a Luge World Cup race, and so far, has won 4 individual races in her World Cup career.

The women's singles competition in luge at the 2022 Winter Olympics was held on 7 February and 8 February, at the Xiaohaituo Bobsleigh and Luge Track in Yanqing District. The defending champion Natalie Geisenberger of Germany won the event and became thereby the first ever triple Olympic champion in women's luge. This is her fifth Olympic gold medal. Her compatriot Anna Berreiter won the silver medal, and Tatiana Ivanova, representing the Russian Olympic Committee, the bronze. This was the first Olympic medal for Berreiter and first individual medal for Ivanova, who already has the silver for the 2014 team relay.

References

  1. Hamlin, Erin (February 1, 2014). "What is your middle name?". twitter.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Johnson, Sandra (December 30, 2013). "2014 Winter Olympics:Erin Hamlin, Three-Time Luge Olympian". yahoo.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  3. John, Arit (February 11, 2014). "Erin Hamlin Makes Olympic History, Wins America's First Luge Singles Medal". thewire.com. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  4. Estrada, Chris (February 11, 2014). "Erin Hamlin's bronze is first U.S. medal in singles luge". olympictalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Harder, Wolfgang (May 2014). "Erin Hamlin enters the history books earning the first medal for a woman from outside Europe" (PDF). FIL Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 51. Berchtesgaden, Germany: International Luge Federation. p. 7. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  6. "Geisenberger wins women's luge gold; Hamlin takes historic bronze for U.S." Associated Press. Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. February 11, 2014. Archived from the original on February 12, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  7. "NewsBank". infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  8. American Erin Hamlin Edges German Women to Win Luge [ dead link ] SI.com, February 6, 2009
  9. Palmer, Justin (February 11, 2014). "Geisenberger wins gold but team discord evident". reuters.com . Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  10. Kekis, John (February 6, 2009). "Skiing: USA's Hamlin wins women's luge at worlds". The Honolulu Advertiser . Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  11. "Erin Hamlin". Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  12. "Erin Hamlin Selected As Team USA's Flag Bearer For PyeongChang 2018". Teamusa.org. February 7, 2018. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018.
  13. "Olympic Bronze Medalist Becomes Face of Adirondack Bank" . Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  14. "Luge | Athlete Profile: Erin HAMLIN - Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games". www.olympic.org. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for United States
Pyeongchang 2018
Succeeded by