Seven top 10 finishes for the US team ahead of Lake Placid

Lake Placid (RWH) The US team travels to the two Viessmann Luge World Cups on home soil on the back of seven top 10 finishes. A few other positive trends are discernible ahead of the first event on December 4-5, 2015 on the artificial track at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, NY followed a week later by the event in Park City, Utah (December 11-12).

After a botched first run at the season opener in Innsbruck, the new pairing of Justin Krewson/Andrew Sherk firmly positioned themselves among the doubles elite by posting the fifth-fastest time on their second run. Krewson/Sherk had already taken a shocking victory in the Nations Cup on Friday.

Olympic bronze medallist Erin Hamlin ended up seventh, having been in second place at half-time. She reckons that perhaps it was snowfall that may have prevented her from claiming a podium finish on the 1976 Olympic track, as her second heat was good otherwise. “I hope there are consistent weather conditions in Lake Placid,” said 2009 World Champion Hamlin, whose teammates Summer Britcher (fifth) and Emily Sweeney (sixth) finished just ahead of her.

The other top 10 finishers from the US team in Tyrol were Tucker West in seventh, Chris Mazdzer in eighth, and the team relay lugers in sixth.