The 2002 Olympic Games
Luge
With Chris Thorpe
Men's Double Luge Bronze Medalist
Friday, Feb. 22, 2002; Noon EST

Just 0.138 seconds, or 5 1/2 inches along the luge track, kept Chris Thorpe and teammate Clay Ives from a gold medal last week. They placed third, with fellow Americans Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin taking the silver by finishing .004 seconds quicker. It was Thorpe's second bronze Olympic medal and his fourth Olympic appearance.

Thorpe was online to discuss luge, the 2002 Winter Games and his Olympic experience.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Chris Thorpe: Hi, Chris Thorpe here from the US Luge team. Glad to be talking to you, and I hope I can give you some insight into my sport and the Olympic experience.

Harrisburg, Pa.: .0138 seconds? It is hard for many people to comprehend how such a short time period can make such a difference. What are some variables in the luge that could account for a .0138 second difference? Incidentally, we are proud of you and I am sure most Americans are glad you have come this far. Relish your medal.

Chris Thorpe: It is hard to comprehend how small an amount time that is. Blinking your eyes is about 1/10th of a second, so 1/100th is considerably smaller than that. And to lose a luge race by 1/100th or even 1/1000th after basically traveling 1 1/2 miles of track at high speed -- 70, 80, 90 miles an hour -- is quite an amazing racing sport.

Rockville, Md.: Why isn't there a woman's double luge event or better yet a coed double luge event?

Chris Thorpe: It isn't out of the question; it is allowed. The rules say women can be there. The Americans actually had a junior doubles team of female athletes. But we haven't seen it in World Cup competition yet. I can't exactly say why, but I believe in the future we could see something like that -- either co-ed or a woman-woman team.

Arlington, Va.: Congratulations on your great result.

I fear that your sport suffers like few others in its lack of coverage. We only get to see the very top teams, who are of course separated by milliseconds. It seems to me that the public would appreciate your skills more if we saw more of the weaker teams so it could see what it is that separates the men from the boys.

Chris Thorpe: That's the truth! Watching the live feed of the men's competition, the sleds not in the top 30 were full of carnage -- lots of accidents with that group out of the top 30, and it really showed the difficulty of our sport and the danger that is right there around the corner. Unfortunately, I don't think NBC picked up those particular athletes, so the viewing public didn't get to enjoy the mass destruction!

Middletown, Md.: Great work out in Salt Lake. The Russians said today that they are considering dropping out of the Olympics after all of the scoring scandals etc. What do you think of this? Do you think it was right for the Canadians to get two gold medals?

Chris Thorpe: I think it would be unfortunate if the Russians did decide to pull out of the Games. But I don't see this happening. Personally, I watched the skating and I thought that both the Russians and the Canadians did a great job. If there was any type of fix in with the judges, then it's only appropriate to award the athletes appropriately.

Washington, D.C.: How does one get into sports like luge and bobsledding? I can't imagine it's easy to find a place to do that. Did you just wake up one day and decide you want to be an Olympic luger?

Chris Thorpe: Our recruiting program travels around the country each summer. We put wheels on the sleds, set up some cones, ask 11 14-year-old kids to come out and try the sport when we're in their city. We then look for potential kids who can drive the sled, physically fit kids, and we will choose a number of them over the summer. The chosen few will be invited to a winter camp either in Calgary, Canada, Lake Placid, NY, or Park City, Utah.

I myself started luge long before this program began. I grew up in upper Michigan, where there was a small homemade luge facility. The coaching staff thought that I should try the sport on the only Olympic-sized run in the country. So, off I went to Lake Placid, fell in love with the sport and have been doing it for the 17 years since.

Philadelphia, Pa.: Is there a rivalry between luge and skeleton?

Chris Thorpe: There is no rivalry, although the media would love for there to be one! We, on the luge team, know the skeleton team very well, we train together in the summers and cross paths in the winter.

Lake Placid, N.Y.: As an Olympic hopeful or someone wanting to compete in an sport like luge, what support systems are available to athletes? Funding for these sports can not be that great, so where does an aspiring hopeful turn for financial assistance?

Chris Thorpe: Our national governing body, the US Luge Association, has a number of sponsors and suppliers, Verizon being the primary one. I myself am assisted through US Luge suppliers such as Manco, Duofold, DMT, Team Worldwide, Uvex and others. I also was fortunate enough to be added to the Chevrolet Team Behind the Team program this year. In this program, Chevrolet awards athletes vehicles to assist them in their training and quest for the Olympic podium. Chevrolet awarded me a brand new Chevy Silverado!

What do I get from these sponsors? Product, as well as financial assistance. Manco give me duct tape, Duofold long underwear, DMT sharpening stones, Uvex protective gear and sunglasses. Chevrolet gives me transportation. Power Bar gives me energy to train!

Harrisonburg, Va.: How dangerous is luge?

Chris Thorpe: Luge is relatively safe, but obviously danger exists when you're traveling 80 or 90 miles an hour on a little sled. Of the three sliding sports -- luge, bobsled and skeleton -- luge is probably the most dangerous. I say this because we have the most control over our sleds, and therefore having this control allows us to build amazing pressure in the turns. When a mistake is made or too much pressure is set, the consequences can be considerable. However, in 17 years of sliding, the worst injuries I've had is a broken bone in my wrist and six stitches in my elbow!

Arlington, Va.: This is not meant as an offense to you or your accomplishment, but what is it that makes luge a sport? Besides the initial start where does the strength come in sitting in a hyper-aerodynamic sled? Thank you and congradulations.

Chris Thorpe: What makes luge a sport? Boy, obviously the start takes a good amount of strength and power. Once we're lying on the sled, maintaining good aerodynamic position with three or four G-forces acting against your body takes considerable ability. We are actually driving the sled from start to finish. You could relate it to race car driving, which you know is a sport. I myself train with some of the greatest athletes in the world. The majority of the Detroit Red Wings and various other professional hockey players, Major League Baseball players, bodybuilders and the NFL. I do this through my strength coach, Charles Poliquin, at his performance center in Phoenix, Arizona. By training with and like these professional athletes, Clay and I have the fastest luge start in the world.

Somewhere, USA: Have you been wearing your medal around Salt Lake? Has your win gotten you any perks (free parking, good seats at movies, etc.)?

Chris Thorpe: I have been wearing my medal around quite a bit, doing appearances and what not. People have been very happy to see it and touch it, and I haven't had to pay for a beer since my event finished!

Austin, Tex.: What does your medal feel like and where is it now?

Chris Thorpe: It's in my breast pocket. It weighs about a pound or pound and a half, has kind of a nuggety texture and a beautiful blue silk ribbon.

Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: Tell us what life is like in the Olympic Village? Is it fun? What is there to do? Do you have roommates or do you get a room by yourself?

Chris Thorpe: I am in a suite with six of my fellow teammates. We have cable TV and live feed from all of the Olympic venues. There's a cafeteria that's open 24 hours, in which the food is superb. There is an international zone with a number of buildings. Within these buildings there's a salon, coffee house, video game arcade, shopping store, theatre, etc. Living in the village is amazing in the way that the world is combined in this small area. During breakfast one morning you may sit down next to Mario Lemieux. I think people could learn a lot watching the interaction in the village. It's a very happy and peaceful environment.

Bethesda, Md.: A technical question:
How was the time being scored? I saw Jim Shea made up 0.04 in the last corner, how is that possible with a 90 degree turn and uphill finish? It is not like speedskating where the finish line was shown when the skater crossed the line. How was the timing scored and verified?

Thanks

Chris Thorpe: There's a timing beam at the top and a timing beam at the bottom. Actually, two timing beams at each section (one is a backup system). For Jimmy Shea to make up that time as you saw, it must have meant his sled was running very well and he drove the optimal line. All of the sliding sports are racing against the clock. There's no question about the winner being the winner.

McLean, Va.: Chris -- Do you have time to watch any other events? If so, which ones have you seen? Thanks and congratulations!

Chris Thorpe: I haven't had time to see anything live, but I'm constantly watching the television coverage. Fortunately, one of my friends at Sportsmark, hooked me up with a pair of tickets for the men's gold medal ice hockey game!

Bronx, N.Y.: How old were you when you started?

Chris Thorpe: 14 years old.

Arlington, Va.: Congratulations to you. What do you think about the addition of skeleton into the Olympic competition? Have you tried it before? Thanks.

Chris Thorpe: I think that it's great to have another sliding sport in the Olympic games. The facility or track that we use costs at least 15 million dollars. So, by having skeleton added, it makes spending that much money that much more worth it.

Have not tried skeleton, but I'm willing to do so. What I would like to see is a skeleton athlete try luge!

Fairfax, Va.: Chris,

You practiced on a home-made track! Could you elaborate? I am picturing a rickety track made up of cardboard, two-by-fours and calk.

Chris Thorpe: That's not far from the truth! It was more railroad ties and 2-by-4s and not much caulk! It was rickety but it gave me my start.

Bronx, N.Y.: How expensive is the sport?

Chris Thorpe: Relatively inexpensive. There is some equipment cost each year, but while you are training in Lake Placid, there is the Olympic training center made available. This keeps the cost of doing the sport down. I couldn't say how much because I've been supported by my sponsors for so long now. But I will say it must be less than half the price to be a skier and less than a quarter of the price to be a figure skater.

Cindy, Raleigh, N.C.: What's been your greatest Olympic experience?

Chris Thorpe: This is ranking right up there! Winning my silver medal in Japan with Gordy Sheer was great. However, winning this medal in the States was fantastic as well. It's hard to pick one certain moment, because all of the moments are so extraordinary.

Let's talk about my worst Olympic moment. That would be my eight-month pregnant wife dropping our $1,000 video camera in a port-o-potty!

Arlington, Va.: The commentary on the Bobsled always notes that the Germans have better sleds because they are far ahead of the other teams in terms of technology. Is there anything similar in luge, or are you all basically driving the same sleds?

Chris Thorpe: The Germans do have a leg up on us with their sleds. They have two or three full-time staff members whose only job is to make their sleds that little bit faster. Whereas in the US our head coach builds our sleds and also coaches us and does other duties. He's spread real thin! In the future, I know that my partner Gordon Sheer is working on creating a position similar to what the Germans have so that we won't be behind at all in sled technology. Typically, each nation builds their own sleds, so they're all a little bit different.

Washington, D.C.: Compared to others, how do you like the medal design? And be honest! And what do you plan to do with it once you get it back home?

Chris Thorpe: I love the medal design. It's very rugged. The medal from Japan I always felt was fragile and was always concerned with hurting it due to the lacquer inlay. These Salt Lake medals look bulletproof and the design is very eye catching. I plan to build a trophy case this summer after we buy our house and display them proudly!

Somewhere, USA: What was it like to be up on the podium? Where you upset you didn't win the gold? Just happy to be there? A bit of both?

Chris Thorpe: Being up on the podium in front of 20-some-thousand people that night was my opportunity to feel like a rock star! I was happy to just be there and get on the podium. Clay and I were the underdog going into the race, so for us to do that result was overwhelming.

Alexandria, Va.: I can't believe the lack of luge coverage this year! I would have loved to see the earlier runs so I could compare them to the later ones. Since you guys make it look so easy it is hard realize the inherent difficulty of the sport. Were there any major or minor injuries this year?

Chris Thorpe: Someday, the network that covers the Olympics will realize that luge has the biggest fan base! I think it is hard for the public to realize how hard it is to drive these sleds, but again, when television decides to show the people who can't drive the sleds very well, you'll get an idea of just how good the top athletes are.

There were some minor injuries, bumps and bruises and one athlete from Venezuela--not a luge power country -- knocked herself unconscious, almost coming out of the track.

Somewhere, USA: There aren't standard sleds? I assume there must be certain design standards though -- right? What are they?

Chris Thorpe: There are strict guidelines as to measurements -- length, width, height and weight. A company in Austria builds sleds for the public to buy, and maybe in the future there will be other makers aside from the countries' nation team sled builders.

Daytona Beach, Fla.: I understand you and your partner are retiring from the sport of luge. Is that true? And if so, what are your future plans?

Chris Thorpe: Hi Kriste!

Yes, we are retiring, and I plan on being home for my family and taking some time to decide what to do next.

New York, N.Y.: First of all, awesome job! You definitely made a lot of people proud.

I have a few questions to ask. Why doubles luge instead of singles? You can still can get the same rush, but without someone on top of you? And in your case, someone below you. And more importantly, do the jokes ever end about the doubles luge competition?

Chris Thorpe: I slid men's singles for a number of years but in 1988, a coach paired myself and Gordie up to try doubles. After our first run, we decided to focus on that discipline. Doubles is considerably more challenging and the consequences of a mistake are brutal.

No one is on top of me -- I'm up front. No, the jokes do not end, but we take them in stride and of course we have to laugh! If you can't laugh at yourself, you're taking life too seriously.

Arlington, Va.: What is the state of luge on the U.S.?

Chris Thorpe: We are one of the four dominant nations now. Germany, Austria, Italy and the US are the four. Thanks to Verizon, we have become one of these top nations rather than the laughing stop of the tour when we didn't have their support.

New York: Do you think that luge could ever be as popular in the United States as it is in parts of Europe?

Chris Thorpe: That would be nice, but again the facilities are very costly and difficult to build. In germany, luge races get the same ratings on television as NASCAR gets in the States, so I don't think luge could ever be as popular in the States as it is in Germany.

Washington, D.C.: How long are you in Salt Lake?

Chris Thorpe: I fly home Monday.

Boston, Mass.: What were you thinking when you received your medal at the medal plaza? What type of thought race through an Olympian's head? You see the emotional, joy and a lot exhaustion in the athletes' faces, but what really is going on upstairs?

Chris Thorpe: For me, it was the realization that my career was over. To be up there in front of our nation and the world gave me the greatest sense of pride and satisfaction. You saw all of the people and everyone cheering. It was just amazing when the flags went up -- the crowd just built and built, and I had goosebumps head to toe.

New York, N.Y.: Are there a lot of other luge competitions to go to? I only hear about it during the Olympics. Thanks!

Chris Thorpe: Our season is over for this year. Before the Games, we completed approximately 10 events--World Cup, North American championships, Olympic trials races. Our typical season during non-Olympic years consists of 8-12 World Cup events, world championships and national championships. I know it seems like we come out of the woodwork once every four years, but this is actually our year-round commitment and career.

Delray, Va.: How does the Salt Lake Olympics compare to some of the others you have been to? Has the security been a problem? Has it affected the overall feel of the Games?

Chris Thorpe: Salt Lake is rapidly becoming my favorite Games. The village is easily the best I've lived in of the four games I've been to. The fans are outstanding, and no, security has not been a problem. It's nice to know we're living in the safest place on earth for these 17 days.

Alexandria, Va.: Ever think about coaching? About how many U.S. luge athletes are there and is there such a thing as collegiate luge?

Chris Thorpe: No collegiate luging. There is club sliding that the general public can have access to if you're near a track. How many US luge athletes are there? A couple few hundred. And I have been offered some coaching jobs, but for the coming year or years I need to stay at home, watching the baby and supporting my wife through med school.

San Fransisco, Calif.: The Games have received some criticism for being to "American." Do you see this? Do athletes from other nations share this view or is it just the television coverage that people are complaining about?

Chris Thorpe: I do see this. We, as American athletes, with obviously the majority of the crowd being American fans do feel as though we're getting extra-special attention. I know that one of my friends from the German team was feeling this. The other day he said to me, "The Americans really hate the Germans, don't they?"

Maryland: Who parties the hardest? Lugers? Snowboarders? Curlers?

Chris Thorpe: I will have to say it's probably a toss up between the snowboarders and the freestyle skiers. Just the other night I was out with the snowboarders and it was pretty crazy! Hopefully before the games end I can get a night out with the freestyle team and get back to you!

Fairfax, Va.: Just want to say congratulations!

Chris Thorpe: Thank you!

Somewhere, USA: Are you looking forward to the closing ceremony?

Chris Thorpe: Very much so. But at the same time it should be pretty sad when the Olympic flame goes out. So, we'll see how that feels.

U.S.A.: There has been a lot of talk this Olympics about judging and scandals. Luge is one of those sports where there is no subjectivity. Do you think that sports with subjective judging should be eliminated for the Olympics?

Chris Thorpe: No, these sports should not be eliminated. They are as worthy a sport as any with a timing system or non-subjectivity. Could you imagine an Olympics without a figure skating competition? No.

The Hill, Washington, D.C.: What goes through your head before a big race? I can't even imagine.

Chris Thorpe: Normally, I'm very centered and calm, confident, aggressive, happy to be there. However, for this Olympic race in Salt Lake, I had a very serious case of butterflies, so much so that I thought we were going to have to pull the truck over to the side of the road on the way to the track to give me a minute!

Washington, D.C.: First, thanks for representing us. Second, do you think that there has been too much emphasis on the U.S. medal count? Has it taken away from the spirit of the games?

Chris Thorpe: I think the USOC was bold in making their 20-medal count prediction, but obviously they knew we had a great team going into this games -- being at 30 medals currently. I don't feel it's taken away from the spirit of the Games. I know the Olympic oath talks about not the triumph but the struggle, but we are here to compete and win medals and try and be the strongest nation.

Rockville, Md.: Has the addition of the "X-Game" types changed the atmosphere at the Olympics?

Chris Thorpe: Nah, it's made it more fun and more colorful. Hopefully, more appealing to the younger kids that are out there needing to get outside and not sit inside watching TV or playing video games.

Chris Thorpe: Thank you for your questions. I enjoyed answering them and hope that you enjoyed my answers. Keep an eye out for luge in the future, as I know our team will do very well.

-Chris

washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.

Stay tuned to Live Online:

Bob Levey: Speaking Freely at 1 p.m. EST
Girl Scouts: Cookie Sales at 1 p.m. EST
Michael Wilbon on the Olympics at 1:30 p.m. EST

Did you know that you can follow more than one Live Online discussion at the same time? Just open another browser window and toggle back and forth between discussions! And, if you miss one, catch up with the Live Online transcripts.

Keep up with the latest in news, sports, politics and entertainment with washingtonpost.com e-mail newsletters.

NEW! Personalize your Post with mywashingtonpost.com. Get customized news, traffic, weather and more.

   |      |