Blink

We're back with John Fee, Bullet Bob Hughes and Ty Danco when we dive into the old Lake Placid track, the evolution luge-only tracks to luge and bobsled tracks, and the changes in equipment throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. 

John Fee ('76 and '80 Olympian), Ty Danco ('80 and '84 Olympian) and Bullet Bob Hughes join us to talk about luge in the 70s and 80s- how the AAU coup and Amateur Sports Act of 1978 lead to the creation of the US Luge Association, and how one of the longest standing sports sponsorships in history was made.

The name Dmitry Feld goes hand-in-hand with USA Luge. Listen to the latest episode of Blink to hear an important message Dmitry has about the invasion of his home country of Ukraine.

Matt Greiner, hot off his Junior World Championship bronze medal win, comes on to discuss his history in luge, and his experience with working with the future of USA Luge.

Women's doubles luge pioneers Chevonne Forgan and Sophie Kirkby come on to tell us all about winning the bronze medal at this year's World Championship- the first-ever in women's doubles luge history.They also have a great message to send to our U.S. Olympic Luge Team. 

This week on our 50th episode, we have USA Luge Olympic alumni on to give their best advice for the 2022 Olympic Team. Thank you to Becky Wilczak Brand, Chris Thorpe, Matt Mortensen, Gordy Sheer, Julia Clukey, Brian Martin, Jack Elder, Bethany Bedford, Erin Warren, Erin Hamlin Hodge, Larry Dolan, Adam Heidt, Christian Niccum, Ty Danco, Cameron Myler, Megan Sweeney Schafer and Courtney Zablocki Landin.Good luck USA Luge in Beijing and let it fly!

Head coach Robert Fegg joins us to discuss the Olympic Winter Games just two weeks ahead of the Opening Ceremony. Listen in as Rob answers tons of my questions, including what will success look like in Beijing?

The newest USA Luge doubles team of Digregorio/Hollander join us to talk about how excited they are to be part of the 2022 Olympic Team. Zack and Sean discuss the process of making the team, how important teamwork and sportsmanship is, and what they're looking forward to the most as Olympians.

Preston Griffall, 2006 and 2014 Olympian, comes on to talk to us about what it's like to go through the Olympic qualification and race-off process and discusses the track in Sigulda. This is the final World Cup race before the U.S. Olympic Luge Team is decided. Tune in to hear what is on the line.

Ashley Hayden Walden pops on after a quick update from Junior National coach Pat Anderson. Ashley discusses her time competing at the 2002 Olympics, what it's like to be married to National Team coach Bengt Walden and details the track in Winterberg, Germany. 

Jayson Terdiman takes time from his short holiday break to chat with us from Lake Placid about the first half of the 21-22 season.

Megan (Sweeney) Schafer joins us on today's episode of Blink to preview the fifth World Cup of the season in Igls, Austria. A favorite stop on the tour, Igls is just outside of Innsbruck, home of the 1964 and 1976 Olympic Games. Listen in as we talk about luge, the lessons we've learned from it and brought with us to our professional and personal lives, and what the latest is from the team.

Heading into World Cup #4, 2014 Olympian and head of development Aidan Kelly comes on to discuss the path from youth athlete to Olympian.

Two-time luge Olympian Matt Mortensen discusses World Cup #3 on today's episode. We also chat about athlete mental health, weather, climate change and the sustainability of the Olympics. 

A special episode all about safety and security. What are we doing to keep USA Luge athletes safe during this pandemic? What is Safesport and why is it important? Another important component to safety is the financial security of our organization. The U.S. Luge Foundation ensures stability of USA Luge and its athletes.On Giving Tuesday, make a donation to the Foundation at www.usaluge.org 

Olympic Bronze Medalist Erin Hamlin chats about last week's race in Beijing and the upcoming race this weekend in Sochi, Russia. The US is ready to hit the ground running at the second luge World Cup of the season, where they will all be attempting to qualify for the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Olympic silver medalist Gordy Sheer is on the podcast today to help Brenna preview this weekend's highly anticipated luge world cup in China.  Luge headlines, social media, a check-in from head coach Robert Fegg and an analysis of training times will help everyone get up to speed for the first Olympic qualifier of the season.

1988 Olympian and technical program director Jon Owen describes all the work that goes into luge sleds. Over a four year period, many people and organizations from athletes, coaches, sponsors and partners, play a role in creating the sleds you will see in the Olympics this February.

Catch up with the first-ever U.S. women's doubles luge team! Maya Chan and Reannyn Weiler hope to represent the United States at the Olympics in 2026 if the International Olympic Committee votes on the discipline to be included in the Games. 

Catch up with Junior National Team coach Pat Anderson to hear what is in store for the juniors this year. 

So it begins... The '21-22 season is just about to begin and that means Olympic Team selection.Listen in as Mark Grimmette, USA Luge sports program director, explains how athletes can make the 2022 Olympic Team. The policy discussed can be found here: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-luge/rules-and-policies

A brief update on the track in Koenigssee, Germany after it was damaged by heavy rains and flooding.Also, listen to what doubles luge driver Dana Kellogg is doing this summer to be in the best shape to make his first Olympic team.  Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.org Adventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitrax Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Just like all sports, luge has evolved greatly since it gained in popularity in the 1964 Olympic Games. Learn about some of the more obvious changes in the sport and how it's changed the type of athletes involved today. Adventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitrax Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

After the 1964 Innsbruck Olympic Games, luge needed to find a home in the United States. For a brief moment in history, that home was in Montana at the Lolo Hot Springs. This episode covers the years from 1965-1968. Thank you to Pat Byrne, Jim Murray ('68, '72 and '76 Olympian) and Ellen Thompson Henry ('68 Olympian) for taking the time to chat.

Dive into the history of the sport of luge in the United States. Here we catch up with Bob aka Volley Cole and Bud Feltman. Adventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitrax Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

Chris Mazdzer sums up the difficult 2020-21 luge season, details new qualification standards for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, and talks about exciting changes coming up in his personal life. Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.org Adventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitrax Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Becky (Wilczak) Brand, 2002 Olympian, shares with us her career highlights as well as what she's doing to help the young, midwest luge athletes during the pandemic. Adventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitrax Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

1998 silver medalist in doubles luge Gordy Sheer joins us to discuss his career, marketing for the USLA and the unique 20-21 luge season that just wrapped up in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

What makes the St. Moritz luge and bobsled track so special? Listen in as two-time Olympic medalist Mark Grimmette talks about his career and the unique qualities of the Swiss track.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

2014 Olympian Kate Hansen joins us to discuss World Championship racing, her life after retirement and what it's like to be an analyst for NBC during race productions. Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

USA Luge Board President, Erin Warren, joins us to discuss her history in luge as a two-time Olympian in the sport. She also helps preview the track in Igls, Austria, outside of Innsbruck, where the World Cup takes place this weekend. Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Chris Thorpe, two-time Olympic medalist, joins us to chat about the track in Oberhof, Germany and to preview the upcoming race being held there this weekend.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Join Brian Martin for a preview of the 21-22 World Cup race in Sigulda, Latvia. Brian discusses having been one of the first American luge athletes to train in Sigulda when it was still under Soviet rule and how much the country has changed since becoming independent. Brian talks in detail about what the athletes will experience when they're training and competing for their second international race of the season.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Get an inside look at the upcoming World Cup in Koenigssee, Germany from assistant US National Team coach Bengt Walden. He tells us about the exciting parts of the track that are fun but also extremely difficult. This will be the first international race for the U.S. team since the Covid-19 pandemic began.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

National team member Jayson Terdiman tells us how the fall season went with all the covid restrictions and safety measures in place. He talks about what the protocol looked like, what they used the time on the track in Lake Placid for and talked about what the second half of the season will look like.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Julia Clukey, 2010 Olympian, joins us to talk about her luge history as well as her position at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Learn what her favorite track to compete was, as well as how she's supporting athletes through the Covid-19 pandemic.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Mike Reed from Dow comes on to discuss some of the exciting things the company is working with USA Luge on. Since the athletes aren't competing in the first half of the World Cup season, they're taking this time in Lake Placid, NY to test equipment that Dow has played a part in creating. Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

What started out as supplying sandpaper for the team has turned into a 40 year sponsorship and technological partnership between Norton-St. Gobain and USA Luge with the end goal of putting American athletes on the top of the podium.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Meet Chevonne Forgan, newly named to the National Team. She started women's doubles just this summer and is looking forward to using the fall in Lake Placid, NY to learn the ins and outs of the discipline.Chevonne explains the latest in what the season looks like during the coronavirus pandemic. She also explains what it's like to get on the sled for the first time in months. Athletes are finally starting training today, Monday, November 2.

Tim Reynolds may very well be the biggest fan of luge within the American media. As a sports writer for the Associated Press, Tim covers everything from the NBA to bobsled, skeleton and of course luge. Listen to why Tim is so honored to be covering USA Luge athletes, as well as what he thinks about having lived in the NBA bubble this summer during the coronavirus pandemic. For someone who interviews and writes stories about Lebron James, Tim is just as excited to write stories about USA Luge athletes like Chris Mazdzer and Erin Hamlin. Find out why by listening to Blink today.

Klim Gatker came to the U.S. from Russia in 1992 to escape the anti-revolution and give his daughters a solid upbringing. He went on to become a coach to hundreds of American luge athletes, from beginners to Olympic Medalists. Catch up with Klim and learn why coaching was so important to him.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USaccount_box

Our newly named 20-21 Biggest Fan Jill Cardinale joins us to talk about what she loves most about USA Luge. She also gives tips about how others can be fans and watch World Cup races from the comfort of their homes, or by visiting the track in Lake Placid.Congratulations, Jill and thanks for chatting!Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Catch up with Wolfgang Shaedler, head coach from 1986 until 2010. Listen to him describe the ascent of USA Luge from a team with no international medals to one that consistently won world cup, world championship and Olympic medals.Since 2010, Wolfi coached the Russian team and now coaches a blossoming Chinese team as they prepare for the Olympics in their capital of Beijing in 2022.

Join us to discuss retirement with 2014 Olympic Bronze Medalist Erin Hamlin. What's she been up to since retiring after the Pyeonchang Olympics in 2018? What does she have coming up for 2020-21?

Meet the doubles team of Dana Kellogg and Duncan Segger! They were recently appointed to the national team after a successful season on the junior world cup circuit. Dana and Duncan take us through what it feels like to crash. Hot tip-- it hurts.Thank you to the entire US national luge team for interviewing for this podcast- Sean Hollander, Emily Sweeney, Jayson Terdiman, Ashley Farquharson, Brittney Arndt, Chris Mazdzer, Tucker West, Jonny Gustafson, Summer Britcher, Dana Kellogg and Duncan Segger for their participation in this podcast.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Meet Sean Hollander who was just named to the National Team in May. Sean helps us understand what living in Europe during the luge season is like.Thank you to the entire US national luge team for interviewing for this podcast- Sean Hollander, Emily Sweeney, Jayson Terdiman, Ashley Farquharson, Brittney Arndt, Chris Mazdzer, Tucker West, Jonny Gustafson, Summer Britcher, Dana Kellogg and Duncan Segger for their participation in this podcast.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Meet Emily Sweeney. She goes into what it's like to be a luge athlete after having broken her neck two years ago, and she and her teammates Tucker West and Summer Britcher talk about their sleds.Thank you to the entire US national luge team for interviewing for this podcast- Emily Sweeney, Jayson Terdiman, Ashley Farquharson, Brittney Arndt, Chris Mazdzer, Tucker West, Jonny Gustafson and Summer Britches and for their participation in this podcast.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Jonny Gustafson was introduced to the sport of luge around 11 years old and has worked his way up through the ranks, winning the Norton USA Luge National Championships in 2019.Jonny and his teammates Emily Sweeney and Jayson Terdiman talk to us this week about physics- gravity, weight and g-forces.Thank you to the entire US national luge team for interviewing for this podcast- Jonny Gustafson, Emily Sweeney, Jayson Terdiman, Ashley Farquharson, Brittney Arndt, Chris Mazdzer, Tucker West and Summer Britches and for their participation in this podcast.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Meet Ashley Farquharson, an athlete entering her second year competing at the highest level in the sport. She and her teammate Brittney Arndt go in depth about aerodynamics and the role it plays in the sport.Thank you to all the luge athletes who have helped with Blink this spring and summer- Ashley Farquharson, Brittney Arndt, Jayson Terdiman, Chris Mazdzer, Emily Sweeney, Jonny Gustafson, Tucker West and Summer Britches and for their participation in this podcast.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.orgAdventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Meet the newly named head coach of the U.S. National Luge Team Robert Fegg. Robert comes from Germany and coached for Canada and then South Korea before coming on to coach the U.S. team.Thank you Robert! Check out the following article for more information on his appointment. https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Luge/NEWS/2020/May/27/USLA-coaching-staff-news

Meet doubles specialist Jayson Terdiman. In this episode we dive into the doubles discipline and what makes it different from singles luge. Thank you to Jayson Terdiman, Chris Mazdzer, Brittney Arndt, Emily Sweeney, Jonny Gustafson, Tucker West, Summer Britches and Ashley Farquharson for their participation in this podcast.Find out more about luge at www.usaluge.org Adventure by yoitrax | https://soundcloud.com/yoitraxMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US