Luge team makes history with three-medal day
The Canadian luge team isn’t waiting for Sochi to make history, they’re doing it right now.
On their quest for a first-ever Olympic medal, Alex Gough, Sam Edney, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith won silver in the team relay at a luge World Cup in Altenberg, Germany.
Combine that with Gough’s silver in women’s singles, and 21-year-old Kimberley McRae’s surprise bronze and you have another first for the luge program.
Three World Cup medals in one day.
Head coach Wolfgang Staudinger was emphatic, “That was badass today, we have worked very hard over the last three years as a team and when you do the work you know sometimes it works and sometimes it will not. Things came together today. It is unbelievable and just fantastic!”
McCrae, who is destined for her first Olympics next month was amazed by her result, “Standing in the finish area beside Alex my heart was just hammering,” she said, “I remember watching the Russian and saying to Alex ‘I could move into third.’ I just started jumping for joy. It was amazing.”
A day like today only bolsters Canadian confidence in what already has been a strong year. Earlier this season, the Walker and Snith combination won Canada’s first-ever doubles World Cup medal.
Today, Snith was purposeful with his words, “We have always been labeled the underdog. We know we are now a legitimate medal shot in Sochi, but we are not getting ahead of ourselves. Getting to this point has not been easy and we, likely more than anyone, know nothing is a given and we need to continue working hard. If we do that – the results will come.”
Up next is Sigulda, Latvia for the final World Cup before the Olympic Winter Games.
