Olympic Luge

Similar to Olympic bobsleigh, Olympic luge is a sport that features one- or two-person sleds racing down a track to achieve the fastest time. Three sets of medals are awarded, going to men's singles, women's singles and men's doubles. Each event features a series of events with the fastest runs determining the gold, silver and bronze medal winners.http://www.nbcolympics.com/luge/insidethissport/index.html

The 110 athletes that participate in the events are determined by performance in the Luge World Cup events leading up to the winter games. The men's singles event is limited to 40 athletes, while 30 are permitted for the women's singles and 20 teams of two for the doubles event.http://www.nbcolympics.com/luge/insidethissport/index.html

In a tragic start to the games, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili suffered fatal injuries in a luge accident on February 12, 2010. The Olympic luge track in Vancouver was shortened after the death to increase safety.

Winners

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Olympic luge 2010 was held over a five-day period starting on February 13, 2010 and concluding on February 17, 2010. Men's singles heats were held the first two days, followed by two days of women's singles and the final day for the men's doubles.http://www.nbcolympics.com/luge/resultsandschedules/index.html

All of the events were held at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, about 80 miles north of Vancouver. Like many luge tracks, the Whistler track was constructed with concrete and piping to keep the two inches of ice frozen at all times. The entire track measures 4,757 feet with a drop of 499 feet, making it the steepest of its kind.http://www.nbcolympics.com/luge/insidethissport/venue/newsid=258411.html#luge+its+venue

All three luge events joined the Winter Olympics in 1964 and have been contested at each Winter Olympics since. East Germany leads all other nations in total medals and gold medals, winning 29 and 13 respectively. Germany is close behind with 21, including nine gold. A total of 10 nations have brought home luge medals, including the United States. Canada, who is hosting the 2010 games, has never placed in an Olympic luge event.http://www.nbcolympics.com/luge/medals/index.html

Germany's Georg Hackl won three-consecutive gold medals in the men's singles event, starting at the 1992 Olympics.http://www.nbcolympics.com/luge/insidethissport/medalists/men/newsid=387094.html#mens+singles+medalists The team of Hans Rinn and Norbert Hahn, also from Germany, lead for gold medals in the men's doubles event, taking home the top spots in 1976 and 1980.http://www.nbcolympics.com/luge/insidethissport/medalists/men/newsid=387097.html#doubles+medalists On the women's singles side, fellow Germans Steffi Martin and Sylke Otto have each won the gold medal twice.http://www.nbcolympics.com/luge/insidethissport/medalists/women/newsid=387096.html#womens+medalists