BY ROBERT MURRAY – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Since 2010, each discipline in the Winter Olympic program has undergone significant change. With less than one year to go until the 2014 Game, I’ll be taking a look at what to expect from Canada and the rest of the world in Sochi. Today I take a look at luge.
What happened in 2010?: Germany dominated the luge medals again. Felix Loch unseated two-time Olympic Champion Italian Armin Zöggeler in the Men’s Singles event. The Austrian team of Andreas and Wolfgang Linger took home their second straight Gold medal. After German Sylke Otto took her second straight Gold medal in Turin, Tatjana Hüfner kept her country’s Gold medal streak going by taking the title in Vancouver.
What has changed?: Canada has improved significantly in recent years. Alex Gough and Sam Edney have led the charge of Canadians rising through the ranks of the luge world elite. One of the bigger changes for the sport of luge in 2014 is the introduction of the Team Relay event, which Canada has done well at.
What Canadians should I watch?: On the Men’s side, Sam Edney is the athlete to watch. In 2006 he finished nineteenth; in 2010 he finished seventh. He finished fifth at the 2013 World Championships behind a quartet of Germans. If the conditions are right, he might be able to snag a medal. On the Women’s side, Alex Gough is Canada’s best chance at a medal. She has claimed four World Championship medals in the past three years, with two of them coming in the Women’s Singles event. Overall, Canada’s success in new Olympic events should continue with the Team Relay. Canada’s luge athletes have experienced some individual success but have been most effective in the team event.
Who could spoil the show?: In Men’s Singles, Russian Albert Demtschenko won a Silver medal in 2006 and finished three hundredths of a second off the podium in Vancouver. At forty-two years of age, he’ll likely be entering his last Olympics but will be looking to capture the Gold on home turf. In Women’s Singles, picking a German to spoil the party may seem like an easy choice but Anke Wischnewski has been knocking on the door for a while now. With no Olympic Medals to her name in a twelve year career, that should change in Sochi. In the Men’s Double’s event, the Italian team of Christian Oberstolz and Patrick Gruber have won everything there is to win at the international level except an Olympic medal. They won’t take gold but could snag a silver or bronze if things play out well for them. The team relay event will be a tossup. In the Team Relay event, Germany and Canada should be near the top but a team like Austria or Latvia could easily end up on the podium.