POSTED: Friday February 18th 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mortensen/Griffall lead all US qualifiers in Nations Cup as 6 advance to World Cup

IOC President Jacques Rogge to attend final Team Relay event on Sunday

SIGULDA, Latvia - The United States doubles luge team of Matt Mortensen and Preston Griffall led the American team in Friday’s Nations Cup qualification races. All six U.S. sleds are in the field for the World Cup final in Sigulda, Latvia.

Mortensen, of Huntington Station, N.Y., and Griffall, of Salt Lake City, Utah, a member of the 2006 Olympic team, placed second in the one-heat doubles race behind Latvians Oskars Gudramovics and Peteris Kalnins. On home ice, the winners clocked 42.478 seconds. Mortensen and Griffall were .25 of a second from the lead.

Ashley Walden, 2002 Olympian, and Erin Hamlin, a two-time Olympian, placed 3-4, respectively, in the women’s Nations Cup competition.

Ewelina Staszulonek of Poland topped all qualifiers with a time of 42.765. Walden, of Westborough, Mass., using the fastest start in the field, slid into third place in 43.026. Hamlin, the 2009 World Champion from Remsen, N.Y., was right behind in 43.102.

Julia Clukey, of Augusta, Maine, opted not to start. Recurring neck issues prevented the 2010 Olympian from completing a full week of training. As a result, Clukey cannot race in the women’s World Cup on Sunday.

Josef Ninis, of Slovakia, cleared the men’s Nations Cup field in 48.735. U.S. lugers Bengt Walden and Chris Mazdzer had quick start times but placed 11th and 13th, respectively. A five-time Olympian from Lake Placid, N.Y., Walden was timed in 49.241, while Mazdzer, 2010 Olympian from Saranac Lake, N.Y., posted 49.430.

The Sigulda schedule will find the doubles and men’s races on Saturday, with the women and team relay slated for Sunday.

The ninth World Cup weekend will be highlighted by Saturday’s final battle for the overall season crown between current tour leader and recently-crowned World Champion Armin Zoeggeler, of Italy, and 2010 Olympic champion Felix Loch of Germany.

The 37 year old Zoeggeler, who also possesses two Olympic gold medals in his collection of five medals at the Games, leads by 35 points and can clinch his 10th season-long title with a bronze medal, regardless of Loch’s finish.

If Zoeggeler is successful, he will match retired Markus Prock, of Austria, for the most overall World Cup championships. Earlier this winter, Zoeggeler captured four consecutive races.

Loch is trying to achieve a German sweep in all categories. In recent weeks, the remaining disciplines were decided as Loch’s teammates clinched in women’s singles (Tatyana Huefner) and doubles (Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt) in addition to their relay team.

The latter event will be attended by IOC President Jacques Rogge, who is considering the addition of the team relay into the 2014 Winter Olympic program in Sochi, Russia.

For more information on the Fastest Sport on Ice, please log on to www.usaluge.org

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Keywords · USA Luge · Matt Mortensen · Preston Griffall · Nations Cup · Luge · Qualification · Latvia · Jacques Rogge

Name: Gordy Sheer
Organization: USA Luge
Email:
Phone: 15185232071
URL: www.usaluge.org

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