Lake Placid (pps) Prior to the beginning of the new season some changes within the US Luge Federation occurred. The senior national assistant coach Hans Sparber, who will work for the Organising Committee of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin (TOROC) as track chief, was replaced by 57-year-old Klim Gatker, who has been assistant coach of the national junior team since 1998.
Gatker, on the other hand, will be replaced by Larry Dolan. For the 1998 Olympian it will be the first season as coach of the national junior team. The positions of Wolfgang Schaedler and Fred Zimney remain unchanged.