Lake Placid (pps) Brenna Margol, a regular competitor in the Viessmann Luge World Cup since the 1998-99 season, surprisingly failed to qualify for the US team in the Olympic winter. Samantha Retrosi and Erin Hamlin made the team at the US trials. Ashley Hayden, fourth at the 2005 World Championships and a bronze medallist at the Viessmann Luge World Cup event last season at Winterberg, as well as Courtney Zablocki, 10th at the last World Championships, were seeded. Brenna Margol achieved her best result in the 2002-03 season by finishing eighth in the overall rankings and fifth at the Park City World Cup event.
Tony Benshoof, 4th overall in 2003-04, is heading the US men’s team, while two-time Olympic medallists Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin lead the doubles’ team.