Oh, it's Fast... Luge Athletes Top 95 MPH in Whistler

(WHISTLER, Canada) - Ask any elite level luge athlete to describe the 2010 Olympic luge track, in Whistler, Canada, and the first word often used is "fast." That seemed like a pretty accurate description as sliders reached speeds of 95.7-miles-per-hour during Saturday's, Feb. 21, men's singles luge World Cup finale.

"It's a handful, it really is. Curve-four, five, right from the top, it's a fight all the way down," remarked USA Luge's Tony Benshoof (White Bear Lake, Minn.), whose second run was clocked at 94.4-miles-per-hour. "There are not a lot of places where you're relaxed. Once you get behind on this track, behind on your drives, you can get yourself into a lot of trouble... so you really have to be on top of it."

Benshoof knows a thing or two about speed, the two-time Olympian is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest recorded luge speed, of 86.6-miles-per-hour.

Fellow American Chris Mazdzer (Saranac Lake, N.Y.) added: "It's definitely a different feeling. You get so focused on what you have to do you really don't notice the speed. There's really no way to prepare your self. Once you're out of curve-11, your natural instincts take over and whatever happens, happens."

Benshoof, coming off back surgery in late December, led the U.S. squad with a 14th-place finish and a total time of one minute, 34.830 seconds, while Mazdzer was 19th, in 1:35.777. Fellow American Bengt Walden (Westborough, Mass.) recorded an 18th-place result and a combined time of 1:34.887. Benshoof rebounded from 20th place in the first heat with the 11th fastest run of the second heat.

Italy's Armin Zoeggeler and Germany's Felix Loch each reached speeds of just over 95-miles-per-hour, but still could not overtake German David Moeller, who won his only race of the season. Moeller covered the 1,450-meter long, 16-curve course in a time of 1:33.919, a mere 19-thousandths of a second in front of Zoeggeler, who stopped the clock in 1:33.939. Loch locked up the race's bronze medal in a total time of 1:34.028.

Along with two Olympic gold medals and five world championship crowns, Zoeggeler can now boast eight-career overall World Cup titles. His second place finish helped to secure 786 points during the nine-race campaign. Moeller came away with the overall silver medal, and 659 points, while his teammate, Jan Eichhorn, closed out the series with 506 points en route to the overall bronze medal.

Walden was the top U.S. overall finisher, 12th, with 273 points. Both Benshoof and Mazdzer each raced only a portion of the 2008-09 World Cup season and were 25th and 37th, respectively.

For more information on the Fastest Sport on Ice®, log onto www.usaluge.org.

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