U.S. Hopes Medals Spur More Athletes, Sponsors

Luge officials hope that one of the immediate ramifications of their silver and bronze medals in doubles--besides attracting more young athletes to the sport--is that sponsorship will boom and the luge/bobsled track in Lake Placid, N.Y., will be rebuilt.

U.S. sledders have an acclaimed new track in Salt Lake City, where the 2002 Winter Games will be held, but the Lake Placid track, the only other refrigerated track in the U.S., is in need of a $20-million make-over.

New York Gov. George Pataki has pledged $5 million, and luge officials hope that private funding will contribute another $5 million, but they have been unable to generate any federal funding.

The Olympic success could change that.

“It was important to medal just for that purpose,” said Ron Rossi, executive director of the U.S. Luge Assn., which is based in Lake Placid, where York International has built a $1.1-million training facility. “It will take two building seasons, so if we were to get funding this year and start in the spring of 1999, we could be up and running by the fall of 2000.

“We want Lake Placid to realize it’s losing its edge as the winter sports capital and Park City is dying to take it. That’s not good for luge. We want both of them to be strong.”

U.S. Luge has a $2.4-million annual budget, Rossi said. Less than half of that is funded by sponsors, he said, and the “lion’s share” is contributed by Bell Atlantic.