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Sylke Otto is a former German luger who competed from 1991 to 2007. Competing in three Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles event in 2002 and 2006.
Andreas Linger is an Austrian former luger who competed internationally since 2000. He and his younger brother Wolfgang began luging at a very young age, and did their first doubles run when they were 14. Linger has won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with three golds and two bronzes. He also earned seven medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with a gold, three silvers, and three bronzes. The Lingers were overall Luge World Cup men's doubles champions in 2011-12 and scored 15 World Cup race victories. They were two time Olympic champions in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They won in 2006 despite Wolfgang having broken his leg in a luge crash the previous year. In 2010, they successfully defended their gold medal against another team of brothers, Andris and Juris Šics of Latvia.
Wolfgang Linger is an Austrian former luger who competed internationally since 2000. As young children, he and his older brother Andreas learned to luge on a former Olympic luge track, and at age 14 began competing as a doubles team for the first time. Linger has won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with three golds and two bronzes. He also earned seven medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with a gold, three silvers, and three bronzes. The Lingers were overall Luge World Cup men's doubles champions in 2011-12 and scored 15 World Cup race victories. In 2005, he broke his leg in a crash, but the next year at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy won the gold medal in doubles luge. He repeated this feat at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, defeating another team of brothers, Andris and Juris Šics of Latvia.
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.
Regan Lauscher is a Canadian luger. Competing in three Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of tenth in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006.
Anna Orlova is a retired Latvian luger who competed at six Winter Olympics between 1992 and 2010. She won the silver medal in the mixed team event at the 2003 FIL World Luge Championships in Sigulda, Latvia and finished fourth in the women's singles event at those same championships.
Anastasia Oberstolz-Antonova is a Soviet/Russian-born, Italian luger who has competed since the late 1990s and for Italy since 2003. She won two bronze medals in the mixed team event at the FIL World Luge Championships.
Liliya Anatoliyvna Ludan is a Ukrainian luger who has competed since 1985. Competing at the Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of sixth in the women's singles event both in 2002 and in 2006. Ludan is a member of the Kolos Sports Society.
Madoka Harada is a Japanese luger who has competed since 2004. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 13th in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006.
Ewelina Staszulonek is a Polish luger who has competed since 2003. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of eighth in the women's singles event at Vancouver in 2010.
Yuliya Igorevna Anashkina is a Russian luger who has competed since 2000. She finished 16th in the women's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Aiva Aparjode is a Latvian luger who competed from 1998 to 2006. She finished 18th in the women's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Aparjode's best finish at the FIL World Luge Championships was 17th at Nagano in 2004. Her son, Kristers Aparjods and her daughter, Kendija Aparjode, also are lugers.
Anastasiya Valeryevna Tambovtseva is a Russian luger and bobsledder who competed from 2001 to 2006. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 21st in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006.
Jana Šišajová is a Slovakian luger who has competed since 2000. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of 22nd in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006.
Sam Retrosi is an American luger who competed as at the international level from 2000 to 2007. She competed in the women's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Takahisa Oguchi is a Japanese luger who has competed since 1999. He finished 20th in the men's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. At the previous Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Oguchi competed in the men's doubles event, but did not finish.
Jozef Ninis is a Slovakian luger who has competed since 1996. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 22nd in the men's singles event at Turin in 2006.
Jakub Hyman is a Czech luger who has competed since 2003. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 27th in the men's singles event at Turin in 2006.
Ian Cockerline is a Canadian luger who competed internationally from 2000 to 2010, and competed in two Winter Olympics. While he crashed on his fourth and final run of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, he continued to earn his best Olympic finish of 20th in the men's singles event at Vancouver in 2010. He is now retired from the competition. He loves to mountain bike, ski and is scared of height.
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.
References
- 2002 luge women's singles results
- 2006 luge women's singles results
- Aktuálně.cz profile (in Czech)
- FIL-Luge profile
- The-sports.org profile
- USA Today February 14, 2006 article that included Jeriova's first run crash at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
- Yahoo! Sports profile for the 2006 Winter Olympics at the Wayback Machine (archived October 15, 2012)
