Winter Olympics Preview: Women's Luge

The Winter Olympics are scheduled to begin next month in Vancouver, Canada. One of the competitions that you will be hearing about in upcoming weeks is the luge. Approximately 140 competitors from 26 countries will be competing for the coveted gold medal. The Women's Luge events will take place February 15th and 16th.

This year, the luge, which is named after the French word for sled, is being held at the new Whistler Sliding Centre track, which was designed in Germany and built in 2007. After many trials, the track was certified in 2008. In the luge, the racers ride fiberglass sleds. They start the race sitting upright, and then lean back to lower wind resistance. The racers steer using their shoulders and legs. At the end of the race they sit up and brake using their feet and the sled's runners to slow the sled down.

In the Winter Olympics, the luge competition consists of four heats over two days, in which each participant competes. The woman with the lowest combined time for all four races is awarded the gold medal. The men and women will compete on the same track, although they will race different lengths of the track.

The German competitors are favored to win the gold medal, and are known for dominating the sport. In the past, medal winners have only come from a handful of countries, including Germany, the United States, Austria, Italy, and the former Soviet Union.

The favorite for the gold medal this year is Tatjana Huefner of Germany. She won the Women's World Cup in luge, and is the defending bronze medalist. For the silver and bronze medalists, eyes are on her fellow German competitors, Natalie Geisenberger and Anke Wischewski, who have also proven to be top contenders in luge.

The top contender from the United States is Erin Hamlin, who has won her own share of attention for her success in the sport. Although she trailed the Germans in the World Cup, she beat Natalia Yakushenko, of the Ukraine. Her fellow American teammates in the luge are Julia Clukey and Megan Sweeney.

For more information on the sport of luge, visit the United States Luge Association or for information on the Winter 2010 Luge events, visit the Winter Olympics website.