There are lugers and then there is Armin Zoggeler.
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Olympic preview: Men's luge singles
- February 13, 2010 9:11 PM |
- By Noah Love
Story provided by
Luge: Men's Singles
The Contenders
There are lugers and then there is Armin Zoggeler. The Italian is not only the two-time defending Olympic gold medallist, but also a four-time medallist (silver in '98 and bronze in '94) on the cusp of his fifth Olympics. Plus, Zoggeler is a Carabinieri, which is the Italian equivalent of a Mountie, and won four of the eight World Cup races this season. After Zoggeler is Russian Albert Demchenko, and a large contingent of Germans who could win on any given day.
The Top 5 (World Cup standings)
1. Armin Zoggeler, ITA, 705 pts
2. Albert Demchenko, RUS, 534
3. Felix Loch, GER, 484
4. David Moller, GER, 462
5. Reinhold Rainer, ITA 372
Canadian medal hopes
Much has been expected of veteran Jeff Christie since his breakout 2006-07 season - when he had four top-10 World Cup finishes - but that has yet to materialize with a podium spot. His best result this past season was a ninth ... in November. Sam Edney, meanwhile, wound up 15th overall this past season, with three top-10s to build on heading to Vancouver.
Dark horses
With a home-course advantage in a sport where every second counts, Edney could very well finally break the Euro dominance of the podium.
-- James Madge, National Post
About the Author
- Bruce Arthur Bruce Arthur is the National Post's national sports columnist. A Vancouver native, he has been with the Post since 2001, and a columnist since 2005. He is covering his second Olympics, after the 2008 Games in Beijing. He expects these Games to be slightly less propagandistic, and for China to win slightly fewer medals.
- Joe O'Connor Joe O'Connor is a roving sports feature writer with an open-ended beat. He joined the National Post in 2002, and has spent the past seven years bouncing from sport to sport, offering fresh perspectives and delivering unique stories wherever he goes. Whether it has been getting Don Cherry to open up about his love life; George Chuvalo to talk about heartbreaking loss; or racing down the side of a mountain with former Crazy Canuck, Dave Irwin, the veteran Postie chases a story wherever it leads. Before joining the newspaper he was a two-time silver medalist at the National Magazine Awards. Vancouver will be his first Olympics.
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