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Canwest News Service
When it comes to his emerging squad, Canada's luge coach Wolfgang Staudinger is loathe to talk in podium terms.
He tempers expectations for Whistler and talks up 2014.
But his actions before leaving on the team's current European swing reveal a confidence beyond his measured words.
"I was sitting down with my technical director and I said, 'You know, I don't know the Canadian anthem by the words,'" Staudinger said from Austria on Sunday. "So I went to YouTube and I learned the lyrics by heart."
And wouldn't you know it, his merry band of sliders put him to the test right away, winning the team relay event to cap off a World Cup stop in Innsbruck-Igls.
Alex Gough, Sam Edney and doubles brothers Chris and Mike Moffat — all Calgarians — combined for a time of two minutes 10.864 seconds to beat out the Austrians by nearly one second and raise the Canadian flag. The strong German team was disqualified.
For Staudinger — hired away from the powerhouse German federation two years ago and brought in to overhaul Canada's program — it was a memorable occasion.
"This was a personal pleasure, a proud moment in my life," said Staudinger, an Olympic bronze medallist for Germany in 1988 who is married to former Canadian luger Marie-Claude Doyon. "I sang it today with full pride and joy."
The team relay is not currently an Olympic event, though the IOC is looking at including it for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.
Sliders slap a pad at the finish line that releases the start gate for their waiting teammate — testing reaction time more than a regular race, and providing added entertainment for fans with a team format.
Canada hasn't won a World Cup medal since Regan Lauscher's silver in Nov., 2004, and the team relay result doesn't count as part of the World Cup circuit.
But, said Staudinger, there are plenty of positives to take. It was the first-ever team relay win for Canada, which finished second and third last season.
"Everyone takes [the relay] seriously, nobody wants to lose," he said, "so it's a good indication, to compare with the best in the world."
While Canada has been kept off the podium through two World Cup stops, there have been good results. None better than Gough's career-best fourth-place finish in the women's race on Saturday, naturally trailing three Germans, whose federation can claim 92 straight World Cup women's wins.
Staudinger has been protective of Gough, his 22-year-old talent, diverting medal talk since her surprise fourth-place finish at last season's world championships.
But Sunday, perhaps buoyed by the singing spirit, he made his closest podium reference to date.
"The top one or two spots, we still have a lot of work to do to get her there," he said. "But, third place … is grabbable."
– Canadian men struggled on the second stop of the Viessmann Luge World Cup in Innsbruck-Igls, Austria, on Sunday, but there was one positive. Calgary's Sam Edney overcame a rocky first run to post the fastest run of the day — 48.163 seconds — on his second slide, finishing in 18th place.
mweber@theprovince.com
