Gough, Edney and Moffat Brothers Claim National Crowns at Fast Track Capital Canadian Luge Championships
Olympic Luge Team to be announced December 19 in Calgary at 12 noon MTN

December 17, 2009 | Chris Dornan | Canadian Luge Association

Gough, Edney and Moffat Brothers Claim National Crowns at Fast Track Capital Canadian Luge Championships

Olympic Luge Team to be announced December 19 in Calgary at 12 noon MTN

WHISTLER, B.C.—Alex Gough, Sam Edney along with Chris and Mike Moffat will head to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games as the reigning Canadian Champions after they claimed the national titles up for grabs at the Fast Track Capital Canadian Luge Championships held at the Whistler Sliding Centre on Thursday.

The 22-year-old Alex Gough defended her title in the women's singles race after posting a combined time of three minutes 17.113 seconds. The Calgary native, who has put down some of the best results in the history of the Canadian women's program over the last two years, threatened the track record of 48.992 in her third run of the four-heat race when she stopped the clock at 49.008.

"I have been consistent and happy with the way things are going, but would have liked to find that hundredth of a second," said Gough. "It has been a good week of sliding for us and I'm feeling good."

The Canadian Luge Association set up the 2009-10 National Championships to simulate the Olympic format which is held over four runs.

Two-time Olympic veteran, Regan Lauscher of Red Deer, Alta., clocked a second-place time of 3:18.915, while Meaghan Simister, of Regina, rounded out the top-three with a combined time of 3:19.527.

Meanwhile, it was Calgary's Sam Edney who continued his hot pace on the 2009 season. The 25-year-old, who posted his career-best World Cup result earlier this year when he was fifth, also won his second-straight national title after clocking-in at 3:10.498.

"That was four consistent runs and a really good prep for me for the Olympics," said Edney. "I'm feeling really good, confident and I'm in a good place right now."

Edney was joined on the men's podium by World Cup teammates and fellow Calgarians, Jeff Christie and Ian Cockerline. Christie finished in second spot with a time of 3:11.545, while Cockerline finished on top in a hard-fought battle for the bronze-medal position on the podium after posting a time of 3:12.634.

When the track was cleared after singles races, it was the Moffat brothers of Chris and Mike who finished on top in the men's doubles national championship. The two-time Olympians and eight-year veterans of the senior Canadian Luge Team joined forces to post a winning two-run time of 1:38.281.

"We were rocking all week in training and had some challenges today adjusting to the change in ice conditions," said Mike Moffat, the youngest of the two brothers at 27 years old. "I am looking forward to the Christmas break. We'll use that time to get away and relax and be ready for the second half of the season."

The Calgary-based brother tandem is being pressed by budding duo of Justin Snith, of Calgary, and Tristan Walker, of Cochrane, Alta. The teenagers, who have been posting strong results in the top-15 early in their rookie season on the World Cup, finished behind the Moffat brothers with a silver-medal time of 1:38.504.

The Fast Track Capital Canadian Luge Championships wraps up the final week of training for the Canada's luge athletes at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

The team will now head to Calgary where the Canadian Luge Association, in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee, will officially announce 10 athletes that will be eligible to be officially named to the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team during a media conference on Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 12 noon MTN. The athletes will participate in a fashion show, modeling HBC's 2010 Olympic clothing line, while being named to the team during the final Saturday of holiday shopping at Calgary's downtown HBC store on 8th Avenue.

For more information on the Canadian Luge Association, please visit us at www.luge.ca on the Internet.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan
Media and Public Relations
Canadian Luge Association
T: 281-703-4394