Lake Placid (pps) Within a few days, both Samantha Retrosi and Brenna Margol have announced their retirement from the U.S. national luge team. The 21-year-old Samantha Retrosi had her greatest success in December 2005 when she reached rank four at the Viessmann World Cup held at her home track in Lake Placid, thus capturing a ticket to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. At the Games, Samantha Retrosi crashed and was not ranked. „Though today I resign, I have no regrets“, she wrote in a letter addressed to the U.S. federation.

Shortly after Retrosi, Brenna Margol also announced the end of her career as a luge athlete in a letter to the U.S. federation. “With my college graduation date drawing near, I have found myself spending an enormous amount of time contemplating my future. I have concluded at this time that my future will no longer include competing in luge,” wrote Margol. The 26-year-old captured two North American Championship titles. As a junior slider, she also claimed the 2000 Junior World Championship silver medal and the 2001 Junior Worlds bronze medal.

Margol’s and Retrosi’s departures leave USA Luge with five sliders vying for three remaining spots on the fall 2007 World Cup team (Erin Hamlin has locked up the lone reserved slot). They are Julia Clukey, Ashley Hayden, Courtney Zablocki, Megan Sweeney and Amanda Allen.