Young Canucks Slide to Fifth in Luge World Cup Team Relay
WINTERBERG, Ger.—Canada’s new generation of luge athletes demonstrated their potential once again on Sunday while sliding to their second, fifth-place finish in the World Cup team relay competition in Winterberg, Germany.
The Canadian squad, which includes two World Cup rookies, combined to clock a solid fifth-place time of 2:25.578 while competing against the greatest names in the sport.
Canada’s 19-year-old from Pemberton, B.C., Trinity Ellis, was first out of the start handles and clocked the fifth-fastest opening run before smashing the paddle hanging over the finish line to clear the track for the veteran of the new-look team, Reid Watts at just 23 years old. The 2018 Olympian from Whistler, B.C. held Canada’s spot before tapping off to two Calgarians – 19-year-old Devin Wardrope and 20-year-old Cole Zajanski – on the doubles sled. The young Canucks were steady at the start and down the track to secure fifth spot.
“We are happy with the result even though our run wasn’t the best,” said Wardrope, who teamed up with Zajanski to finish 13th in Saturday’s doubles race. “Getting the experience of racing the relay now is going to be so beneficial for us in our future sliding career. With the limited runs and experience we have on this track; it was good to see that we could put down a run while doing our best to minimize mistakes on the way down.”
The Latvians set the golden time at 2:24.294. Austria was second with a time of 2:24.652, while the Americans snagged the bronze medal with a time of 2:24.802.
The same team of Canucks also finished sixth at a World Cup relay in Altenberg, Germany this season. The Canadians matched their season-best fifth-place finish at the Beijing Test Event in October with Olympic medallists, Justin Snith and Tristan Walker, sliding the doubles leg.
“Being such a young team, it was good for all of us to see that we can still be competitive. We know that with a little more experience and consistency we can push higher up the leaderboard,” added Wardrope.
The relay event consists of one-woman sled, one man’s sled, and one doubles sled. Athletes hit a paddle at the finish line that allows the next member of the team to begin their run at the top of the track.
Earlier in the day, Trinity Ellis scrapped her way back into the top-15 in women’s singles racing. Poised to lock up her third, top-10 finish on the World Cup after the first run, the British Columbia teen dropped to 15th with a combined time of 1:54.033.
Calgary’s Makena Hodgson was also back in the World Cup start handles, finishing 23rd with a time of 1:54.545.
The Germans grabbed the gold and silver medals in women’s action. Julia Taubitz finished on top with a time of 1:53.167. Natalie Geisenberger was second at 1:53.408. Austria’s Madeleine Egle prevented the German sweep with a third-place time of 1:53.423.
The Canadian Luge Team have been in a rebuilding period since the program’s first double-medal triumph in PyeongChang. Months after celebrating their first Olympic medals, the most successful athletes in the history of the sport in Canada – Alex Gough, Sam Edney and Kim McRae – retired from the program. All three have since stayed involved in the office, on the track or with the Board of Directors to help groom the new generation.
The young Canadian squad will now continue their development next week when the World Cup travels to Sigulda, Latvia.
Complete Winterberg Relay Results:
Complete Winterberg Women’s Singles Results:
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