Rewards are large for medal finishes
Canadian Luge Federation's title sponsor, Fast Track Group of Calgary, has offered $1 million if a Canadian luger captures the gold medal

By Terry Bell, The Vancouver Sun | February 12, 2010

Tony Gentile / Canada's Samuel Edney speeds down the track during a practice run for the men's singles luge Thursday. The members of the Canadian luge team could collect a cheque from the team sponsor if they collect a medal.
Photograph by: Reuters, Vancouver Sun

Canada's lugers begin the 'Great Canadian 2010 Olympic Million Dollar Slide Off' on Saturday with the first two of four runs in the men's event at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

The odds may not be very good, but if any among the Calgary trio of Sam Edney, Ian Cockerline or Jeff Christie should happen to win the gold medal here, they'll be rewarded with a $1,000,000 cheque from the Canadian Luge Federation's title sponsor, Fast Track Group of Calgary. The money will be split between the athlete and the CLF. Canada has never won an Olympic gold medal in luge. The same is true for silver and bronze, which, if it were to happen here, would be worth $50,000 from Fast Track. The top Canadian man, woman and doubles team will earn $5,000. So what are their chances?

Well, Edney, 25, is the early favourite to leave here with the $5,000 from the men's event, which ends with two runs on Sunday. The fastest total time wins. Edney has stepped up during the 2009-10 World Cup season, earning a personal best-ever fifth place finish in Calgary and then coming seventh at a World Cup in Cesana, Italy. He's ranked 15th in the World Cup standings after placing 19th in his Olympic debut four years ago in Turin.

"My confidence in my sliding has grown in the past couple of years and we've had some amazing training at Whistler this year that has really helped in building consistency," Edney was quoted as saying on the CTV website.

Christie, who was born in Vancouver and raised in Calgary, is ranked 25th on this year's World Cup circuit. Cockerline is ranked 35th.

Christie finished 14th at the 2006 Olympics in Turin. Cockerline crashed in his Olympic debut.

Italy's Armin Zoeggeler is one pre-race favourite. The two time Olympic gold medallist had the second fastest first training run Wednesday and the fastest time on the second run. Russia's Albert Demtschenko had the fastest first time and the second fastest time in the second run. Through the first eight races on this season's World Cup, Zoeggeler has four wins and three second place finishes. Demtschenko has two wins, with Germans Felix Loch and Andi Langenhan each have a win. Despite an improved Canadian program that's come since the hiring of German coach Wolfgang Staudinger three years ago, the Canadian men still trail the Zoeggelers of the luge world by a considerable margin. But if they have a chance here, it rests with advantage they should have on the Whistler track, a challenging test for even the most skilled lugers. The Canadians have had more time on the track than sliders from the other countries.

"It's great, this is my second home," Cockerline said of the track. "I've been struggling with the top 20 (on World Cup). I want to have four consistent runs and finally put them down. If I get that it will make me happy."

As for the money -- it's unlikely to be a distraction. "We have been doing this for so long that the financial motivation is an afterthought," said Cockerline. "Our cake is the Olympics and throwing down four of the best runs of our careers."