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By Liz Alper
Photo via Firenews
February 11, 2018 (PyeonChang, South Korea) - For Olympics coverage, ECM's sports reporter was told "I'm sure no one will pay attention to luge."
And she believed that; Germany's Felix Loch, the luge king, was sure to sweep again as he always does. Nothing to see there, right?
She (and the person that told her that) were wrong.
On Sunday night, a gigantic mistake on a wide turn cost Loch a spot on the podium. And it was a pricey cost; it boosted American Chris Mazdzer to the silver medal and Austria's David Gleirscher to the gold.
In a weekend of history-making for Team USA, Mazdzer became the first American to win a medal in men's singles luge.
The 29-year-old from Saranac Lake, New York finished fifth on Saturday in the first of four runs. He posted the second-fastest time in his second run, but still found himself only in fourth. On Sunday night in his third run, Mazdzer set a track record with a time of 47.534 seconds to catapult himself into second place, where he was able to stay until Loch made that costly mistake that lost him a medal and granted Mazdzer his silver.
Mazdzer isn't done yet; he will compete in doubles luge starting February 15. Team USA is the reigning team relay silver medalist.
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