Thrill ride is probably the right way to put it, too.
Even though lugers are on their backs throughout the whole race, it’s no restful experience. Racers fly down a winding course, inches away from the ice below, banking high around corners, and reaching speeds approaching 80 and 90 miles per hour while dropping an average of 30 stories in elevation.
The sport first appeared in the Olympics in 1964, but USA Luge first achieved Olympic success at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, taking home silver and bronze medals in the doubles’ competition. They turned in a repeat performance four years later in Salt Lake City, and finished just out of the medals in fourth place in men’s and women’s singles during the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy. Since 1994, USA Luge has also been a force in senior and junior international competition, earning almost 550 medals—making USA Luge the most successful Winter Olympic National Governing Body.
USANA is a proud sponsor of USA Luge, supplying them with the nutrition they need to fly down the course and onto the medal stand in Vancouver.
Don’t miss the action from the fastest sport on ice, Feb. 13–17. Check your local listing for times.
