Lake Placid (pps) The most decorated athletes to ever race for USA Luge have taken their last ride together, as Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin announced their retirement from the sport after 16 years as a team. Prior to their announcement the duo raced to a silver medal at the Norton U.S. National Championships on March 14.
During the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, Grimmette and Martin earned the bronze medal, while Chris Thorpe and Gordy Sheer took silver, marking the first-ever Olympic medals for USA Luge. During the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, Grimmette and Martin added a silver medal to their collection.
Grimmette-Martin won the 1997-98 overall World Cup title and repeated this feat in the 1998-99 and 2002-03 seasons. In addition to their World Cup titles, they won six World Championship bronze medals, including their most recent at the 2009 World Championships in Lake Placid.
Both athletes indicated a desire to stay close to the sport, but were not yet sure in what capacity.
