Catching up with World Champion Erin Hamlin
Gordy Sheer April 09, 2009
Photo: Getty Images
Erin Hamlin of the United States during training for the Wiessmann Luge World Cup on February 19, 2009 at the Whistler Sliding Center in Whistler, Bristish Columbia, Canada
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. --- Just over two months after making history by winning the first luge World Championship gold medal for the United States and snapping a 12 year German winning streak in women’s luge, Erin Hamlin has finally had some time to reflect upon the significance of her achievement.
“When I saw the ‘1’ (indicating a first place finish) flash up on the scoreboard, I kind of didn’t believe it for a second,” said the 2006 Olympian. “Everyone was just freaking out at the finish area. It was really cool…I didn’t know what to do really. It’s still kind of surreal for me.”
Immediately after her victory, she received congratulatory messages from around the nation from friends and fans. “I had a lot of e-mails come through my website (www.erinhamlin.com) and a lot of guest book messages from far removed relatives and friends of friends who have been following me from California to Canada…everywhere. There were some messages from people who were just sports fans.”
Hamlin also had a chance to watch a live taping of The Late Show with David Letterman on March 17. “That was really cool, but I didn’t get to be on the show,” joked Hamlin. “Julia Roberts was the guest and that made my day because she is my favorite actress of all-time. We got to tour the set after the show. It was really fun to be there and it made me more of a fan (of David Letterman).”
Since the World Championships, Hamlin has been focused on racing in national and international events, as well as testing new luge equipment in preparation for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. She competed in two World Cup races, including one on the 2010 Olympic course where she finished fifth, and the Norton U.S. National Championships, which she won for the second straight year.
April 5, 2009 was declared Erin Hamlin Day in her hometown of Remsen, NY (population 514) and in Oneida County, where Remsen is located. The reigning World Champion received a key to the village, a lifetime membership at the Remsen-Steuben Historical Society and an invitation from state Assemblyman David Townsend to visit the state legislature later this year. Townsend described Hamlin as “a representative of Remsen, but also a world leader and a world-class athlete,” according to the Utica Observer Dispatch.
A full length interview with Hamlin can be found at the following URL: http://www.usaluge.org/team/erininterviewpostseason.mp3
For more information on the Fastest Sport on Ice®, log on to www.usaluge.org
“When I saw the ‘1’ (indicating a first place finish) flash up on the scoreboard, I kind of didn’t believe it for a second,” said the 2006 Olympian. “Everyone was just freaking out at the finish area. It was really cool…I didn’t know what to do really. It’s still kind of surreal for me.”
Immediately after her victory, she received congratulatory messages from around the nation from friends and fans. “I had a lot of e-mails come through my website (www.erinhamlin.com) and a lot of guest book messages from far removed relatives and friends of friends who have been following me from California to Canada…everywhere. There were some messages from people who were just sports fans.”
Hamlin also had a chance to watch a live taping of The Late Show with David Letterman on March 17. “That was really cool, but I didn’t get to be on the show,” joked Hamlin. “Julia Roberts was the guest and that made my day because she is my favorite actress of all-time. We got to tour the set after the show. It was really fun to be there and it made me more of a fan (of David Letterman).”
Since the World Championships, Hamlin has been focused on racing in national and international events, as well as testing new luge equipment in preparation for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. She competed in two World Cup races, including one on the 2010 Olympic course where she finished fifth, and the Norton U.S. National Championships, which she won for the second straight year.
April 5, 2009 was declared Erin Hamlin Day in her hometown of Remsen, NY (population 514) and in Oneida County, where Remsen is located. The reigning World Champion received a key to the village, a lifetime membership at the Remsen-Steuben Historical Society and an invitation from state Assemblyman David Townsend to visit the state legislature later this year. Townsend described Hamlin as “a representative of Remsen, but also a world leader and a world-class athlete,” according to the Utica Observer Dispatch.
A full length interview with Hamlin can be found at the following URL: http://www.usaluge.org/team/erininterviewpostseason.mp3
For more information on the Fastest Sport on Ice®, log on to www.usaluge.org
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