KIDWCKED
02-15-2010, 02:36 PM
c\p from espn
WHISTLER, British Columbia -- Felix Loch blazed across the finish line, dropped his feet to the track and pulled back on the front runners to brake his speedy sled, spraying ice in every direction. The gangly German punched the frosty air in triumph.
Finally, luge could celebrate.
The gold-winning performance of Germany's Felix Loch in the men's luge provided some needed comfort to a sport rocked by the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili.
Loch, gliding safely through the final curve where a fellow Olympian tragically died just two days earlier, easily won his first gold medal on Sunday and brought brief but needed comfort to a sport rocked by criticism that it put performance above protection of its athletes.
The 20-year-old Loch finished his four heats in 3 minutes, 13.085 seconds, well ahead of teammate David Moeller (3:13.764) and Italy's Armin Zoeggeler (3:14.375), the 2002 and 2006 Olympic champion who added a fifth medal to his collection.
Officials, under pressure after 21-year-old Georgian slider Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed in a practice crash Friday, shortened the track by moving the starts down the mountain. The alteration worked to slow the sleds, but the changes may have tilted the balance of competition.
WHISTLER, British Columbia -- Felix Loch blazed across the finish line, dropped his feet to the track and pulled back on the front runners to brake his speedy sled, spraying ice in every direction. The gangly German punched the frosty air in triumph.
Finally, luge could celebrate.
The gold-winning performance of Germany's Felix Loch in the men's luge provided some needed comfort to a sport rocked by the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili.
Loch, gliding safely through the final curve where a fellow Olympian tragically died just two days earlier, easily won his first gold medal on Sunday and brought brief but needed comfort to a sport rocked by criticism that it put performance above protection of its athletes.
The 20-year-old Loch finished his four heats in 3 minutes, 13.085 seconds, well ahead of teammate David Moeller (3:13.764) and Italy's Armin Zoeggeler (3:14.375), the 2002 and 2006 Olympic champion who added a fifth medal to his collection.
Officials, under pressure after 21-year-old Georgian slider Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed in a practice crash Friday, shortened the track by moving the starts down the mountain. The alteration worked to slow the sleds, but the changes may have tilted the balance of competition.