16-year-old Tucker West creates big surprise in the men’s singles
Lake Placid (pps) The US Luge Start Championships ended with a big surprise as two young athletes claimed the top two spots in the men’s singles and victories of the top favourites in the women’s singles and doubles. While Ashley Walden already celebrated her tenth US luge start title and Matt Mortensen-Preston Griffal claimed the title in the doubles as expected, 16-year-old Tucker West won his first national US Start Championship title.
The youngest ever US luge start champion Tucker West relegated Nick Gerardi and Chris Mazdzer to second and third rank. Ashely Walden, 5th at the 2005 Worlds, defeated Emily Sweeney and 2009 World champion Erin Hamlin to second and third place respectively. In the doubles’ Mortensen-Griffal claimed the victory ahead of Shane Hook-Zac Clark.
