According to Jon Owen with USA Luge, more than 70 luge athletes will be in town this month with the youngest athletes, ages 13 -18, taking the ice first March 7 and March 8 and the juniors, ages 19-21, arrive for the following week’s competition March 13 and March 14.
“Once all the teams roll in, we'll have just over 70 kids up at the UOP training every day, racing,” Owen said. “We have kids from Oregon, Maine and New York. So, it's a full national because they come from all over the country.”
Between 15 and 20 local athletes will compete. Not all of them have qualified but he said because they’re local, they’ll get a start.
“Most of the kids that are coming in are in one of our established team levels, with the exception when we have them here, some of the better club kids that haven't been established onto a team yet that's run by the national governing body, some of our local club kids are able to bump up and race in a National Championship, although they're not on a team per se yet.”
Owen said the best place to watch is curve 12.
“Park in the main parking lot of the UOP,” he said. “Follow the signs over to the track. Work your way up. It's what we call the lower loop, because it loops back on itself with the out run and curve 12 is one of the best places to
watch. It's one of the more technical curves, and you don't have to walk as far uphill.”
The youth races are Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8, at 9:30 a.m. The juniors will compete the following week, Thursday, March 13, and Friday, March 14, at 1 p.m. Admission is free.
The full schedule is available here.
