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A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face-up) and feet-first. A luger begins seated, propelling themselves initially from handles on either side of the start ramp, then steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the pod. Racing sleds weigh 21–25 kg (46–55 lb) for singles and 25–30 kg (55–66 lb) for doubles. Luge is also the name of an Olympic sport that employs that sled and technique.
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.
Albert Mikhailovich Demchenko is a Russian luger who competed from 1992 to 2014. He is currently coaching the Russian luge team. His daughter Victoria Demchenko is also a luger.
Torsten Wustlich is a German former luger who competed from 1998 to 2010. Together with André Florschütz, he won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Paul Hildgartner is an Italian former luger who competed from the early 1970s to the late 1980s. Competing in five Winter Olympics, he earned two gold medals and one silver medal for his efforts. At the 1984 Winter Olympics, Hildgartner carried the Italian flag during the opening ceremonies.
Angelika Neuner is an Austrian luger who competed from 1987 to 2002. Competing in four Winter Olympics, she won two medals in the women's singles event with a silver in 1992 and a bronze in 1998. Her younger sister, Doris, won the gold medal in the same event at Albertville in 1992.
Josef Feistmantl was an Austrian luger who competed from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. He competed at three Olympic Games.
Walter Plaikner is an Italian former luger and coach of Austrian descent who competed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a doubles specialist, and competed alongside Paul Hildgartner. They won the gold medal in the men's doubles event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo. Plaikner also competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, where he finished 11th in the doubles after suffering from a severe bout of flu. He retired from competition after the Games.
Karl Brunner was an Italian luger who competed from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. He won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
Christopher Thorpe is an American luger who competed from 1989 to 2002. Competing in four Winter Olympics, he won two medals in the men's doubles event with a silver in 1998 and a bronze in 2002.
Gordon "Gordy" Sheer, is an American luger who competed from 1989 to the late 1990s. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at Nagano in 1998.
David Möller is a German former luger who competed from 2001 to 2014. He won six medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds, one silver, and one bronze
Günther Lemmerer was an Austrian luger who competed in the early 1980s. He won the gold medal in the men's doubles event at the 1982 FIL European Luge Championships in Winterberg, West Germany.
Oleg Zherbetskyy is a Ukrainian luger who has competed since 2003. He competed in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin by completing the first run of the event, but not starting the second run to a severe crash at the end of the first run.
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.
Roman Yaroslavovych Zakharkiv is a Ukrainian luger who has competed since 2005. He participated at 2010, 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.
Andriy Vasylyovych Mandziy is a Ukrainian luger. He competed at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.
Olena Andriivna Stetskiv is a Ukrainian luger. She participated at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.
Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Obolonchyk is a Ukrainian luger. He participated at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.
Yulianna Ihorivna Tunytska is a Ukrainian luger.
References
- ↑ "USATODAY.com - Twisting track an Olympic nightmare for lugers". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ↑ "Roman YAZVINSKYY - Olympic Luge | Ukraine". International Olympic Committee. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
