Australia's Alex Ferlazzo set to make history in Beijing 2022
Beijing (FIL) Alex Ferlazzo is set to make history in Beijing by becoming the first athlete to represent Australia at three Olympic Winter Games in luge, the world’s fastest sport on ice. What is perhaps even more fascinating is that 26-year-old Ferlazzo is from Australia’s Tropical Queensland - more famous for producing surfing champions, thousands of kilometres from Australia’s southern snow resorts and in a country (and hemisphere) that does not have a luge track.
Ferlazzo grew up practicing on the road, eventually graduating to spending six months of the year in Park City, Utah, and six months back home with his family and friends in Townsville…where he continues to practice on the road!
Australia’s luge beacon
Ferlazzo is well and truly leading the way for Australia’s Olympic luge hopefuls. He became a Youth Olympian after competing at the first Youth Olympic Games in 2012 in Innsbruck. By 19 he had won the Junior World Cup in Whistler, Canada, becoming the first athlete from Australasia to take home victory in an International Luge Federation (FIL) race, and became Australia’s fourth athlete to compete in Olympic luge at the 2014 Sochi Games.
Ferlazzo went on to represent Australia at his second Olympic Games at PyeongChang 2018, where he improved on his Olympic results finishing 28th - Australia’s top male result.“I’ve always loved sport, from soccer to cliff diving, so when I first started wheeled sliding it felt like a natural fit for me,” explains Ferlazzo. “I love adventure, so now being able to spend six months of the year in Utah and then come back to my family and friends in the sunshine is a great feeling.”
Luge mantra
The luge athletes qualifying for Beijing have had a particularly testing time into these Olympics due the pandemic, especially Ferlazzo who relies on being able to travel to Utah to train.
Not only that - while several of this year’s Winter Games athletes traveled to Beijing to familiarise with the venues, the lugers were actually required to compete on the brand new Yanqing National Sliding Centre luge track as part of this year’s World Cup series that doubled as a qualifier for Beijing.
“I’ve started meditating,” said Ferlazzo. “I would normally spend hours lying on my bed visualising every twist and turn of every luge track I compete on around the world. “Meditating during the forced break from luge in the pandemic has really helped me - I’ve found sliding is like riding a bike…you can jump back on easily.”
Ferlazzo’s meditation techniques and positivity have had a lasting effect on his skills - he is now ranked higher than any of his previous World Cup seasons heading into an Olympic Games.
Four Australians have competed at the Olympic Games in luge.
Diane Ogle was the first Australian to represent her country in this sport. She competed at Albertville 1992 and flew down the track to place 21st from 24 contenders.
At the following Olympics, Roger White became the first male to represent Australia, placing 32nd at Lillehammer 1994.
It was another 12 years before Hannah Campbell-Pegg took to the track, finishing 23rd at Torino in 2006. When she competed in Vancouver four years later, she became Australia’s first luge dual-Olympian, also finishing 23rd.
Alex Ferlazzo became Australia’s fourth luge representative when he was selected to compete at the 2014 Sochi Games. A Youth Olympian who competed at the Innsbruck 2012 Games, Ferlazzo finished 33rd in his Olympic debut at just 19 years old.
Hailing from Townsville, Ferlazzo went on to compete at this second Olympic Games at PyeongChang 2018 where he again improved on his Olympic results finishing in 28th - Australia’s top male result.
Watch Alex training on Instagram: FIL Luge auf Instagram: „Australia's @pinkshortshula is set to make history in @beijing2022!
