Sigulda (pps) Wilfried Huber's dream of a seventh start at the Olympic Games did not come true. During the team selection process Italy's 39-year old luger, 1994 Olympic doubles' champion together with Kurt Brugger in Lillehammer, Norway, had to bow to compatriot David Mair. Thus, Huber will have to make do with being a spectator at the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver on February 12-28, 2010. This information was now provided by Italian head coach Walther Plaikner.

Huber would have been the very first athlete to compete in his seventh Olympic Winter Games after Calgary (1988), Albertville (1992), Lillehammer (1994), Nagano (1998), Salt Lake City (2002) and Turin (2006) - a truly unique record.

"I would have liked to dedicate this record to the sport of luge since I owe this sport so much. But the competition was simply too tough," explained Huber, who will now represent Italy at the 42nd FIL Luge European Championships in Sigulda, Latvia on Sunday (January 24) instead of competing at the Olympic Games. Apart from Mair, two-times Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler and Reinhold Rainer will compete in the Olympic men's singles event.

Huber celebrated his biggest successes in the double-seater together with Kurt Brugger. Apart from the 1994 Olympic gold medal, Huber-Brugger also earned a fifth place at the 1992 and 1998 Olympic Games. Additionally, Huber's biggest successes in the men's singles were a 9th place at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City and a 10th place at the 2006 Games "back home" in Turin.

Wilfried "Willy" Huber is the last still active athlete of the legendary Huber family from South Tyrol. His older brother Guenther won the 1998 Olympic bobsleigh gold medal in the two-man. His brother Norbert is a multiple World medal winner, and - together with Hansjoerg Raffl - 1992 Olympic bronze as well as 1994 Olympic silver medallist in the double-seater. His brother Arnold earned the 1991 World championship title in the men's singles.