Lake Placid (pps) Wolfgang Schädler will continue to lead the U. S. luge team until the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The 47-year-old Schädler, who is in the 21st season as head coach of the United States Luge Association (USLA), has recently agreed with the association to a four-year contract extension. „Re-signing Wolfi was one of our top priorities this off-season. We’re confident that with him remaining on as head coach, we’ll continue our successful path through another four years”, explained Ron Rossi, USLA Executive Director in a press release from Lake Placid.

During February’s Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, he coached both Tony Benshoof and Courtney Zablocki to a fourth place finish in the men’s and women’s singles events. During Schädler’s tenure, at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano (Japan) and Salt Lake City (USA), US luge athletes won the first Olympic medals ever, with Mark Grimmette/Brian Martin (bronze in 1998 and silver in 2002), Chris Thorpe/Gordy Sheer (silver in 1998) and Chris Thorpe/Yves Clay (bronze in 2002). Excellent results include overall victories in the Viessmann World Cup series in doubles in 1997, 1998, and 1999 as well as in 1993 in men’s singles through Duncan Kennedy .