Whistler Sliding Centre to host the Junior/Youth A Luge World Cup Dec 4-7, 2014

Whistler, BC: The world’s best young luge athletes will compete at the Whistler Sliding Centre between December 4-7 during the season’s 1st and 2nd Junior/Youth A Luge World Cup events. Races will be held from 1:00pm onwards on Thursday and Friday (Dec 4 & 5), and from 9:00am onwards on Saturday and Sunday (Dec 6 & 7). Access for spectators is free, merchandise and snacks will be sold on site during the competitions.

About 80 athletes from 11 countries will compete on four event days. Races are held for the age classes Youth A Men/Women (15-18 years) and Junior Men/Women (19-20 years), there will be single (Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun) and double competitions (Thu, Sat) as well as a team event (Sun).

The four-day event, which technically consists of two Junior/Youth A Luge World Cup competitions, is the kickoff to the 2014/2015 international luge season for the young athletes. “We are proud to host such a prestigious event. The kids that we see here today are tomorrow’s Olympians, and it is important for them to compete on world-class tracks like ours, under world-class conditions”, explains Roger Soane, President and CEO of Whistler Sport Legacies, the operator of the Whistler Sliding Centre. After the competitions in Whistler, the Junior/Youth World Cup circuit will travel on to events in the USA, Austria, Germany and Italy.

Among the participants will be hopefuls from leading luge nations such as Germany, Austria and Russia. Many athletes from the Whistler/Pemberton area will get a chance to race on their home track: Jenna Spencer will compete in the Junior Women category; Nicole Pidperyhora will race in Youth A Women; Reid Watts, Adam Shippit, Nicky Klimchuk-Brown and Matt Riddle are on the start lists for Youth A Men and the pairs Matt Riddle/Reid Watts and Nicky Klimchuk-Brown/Lucas Gebauer-Barrett will compete in the Youth A Doubles category.

DETAILED SCHEDULE: