Year of changes, challenges
DAN STOHR
Special to the Beacon
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. Another year is put to rest for Whitehalls own Rocket Riley Stohr and USA Luge.
It was a year of advances, eye openings, and finger crossing. USA Luge has felt the recession as much as the rest of us, and as a result is cutting athletes and staff to conserve money. During this time between April and June, athletes await a letter telling them their status on the team. The letter has arrived, and Riley was not listed as one the of the 26 athletes that were cut, but was promoted from the D Team to the C Team. Of the eight athletes who joined the team with Riley, only four remain on the team. His next training camp is scheduled for July 5 at Lake Placid, under the tutelage of Reeths-Puffer product Mark Grimmette. A five-time Olympian, Grimmette has been appointed as the new USA Luge Program director and head coach.
Riley traveled to Innsbruck, Austria, in January to train on the 2012 Youth Winter Olympic Track. His eyes were opened when he found how easy the track was. The track at Lake Placid is one of the most technical tracks in the world. The saying goes If you can slide at Lake Placid, you can slide anywhere. Riley found the Austria track fun.
Riley said, It was like taking a sled out of the shed back home and sliding down the hill in townjust fun.
After his return to Lake Placid, his coaches noticed a difference. Coach Duncan Kennedy said, He has realized hes a better slider than he thought he was.
Coach Pat Anderson said (Riley) should be sliding in the Jr World Cup Circuit, when hes 15 or 16. The Junior World Cup Circuit is where qualified athletes travel to different luge tracks around the world and represent their country in international racing.
Riley was moved up to the Womens Start (Start 3) and slid with the Youth A group, which is made up of sliders age 14-17. With only five days of training from the womens start, and sliding underweight, Riley met his goal of not finishing last. In seeding race 1, Riley finished ninth out of 11 sliders, and in seeding race 2, he finished tenth of 11.
Riley is looking forward to next year and sliding from Start 2 (Junior Mens), and possibly Start 1 (Mens).
During his most recent camp, April 5-19, Riley received a new race pod (sled). Riley was glad for the upgrade.
His old sled, nicknamed The Hobo had seen its day. It got its name from the fraying fiberglass edges that have a habit of tearing holes in speed suits, giving the slider a hobo looking suit. Coach Anderson thinks he had the same sled twenty years ago, when he was going through the program. His new sled is more contemporary; it is much tighter driving, faster, and less forgiving. Other than their usual routine of sliding, start practice, gym, weight room, and mountain hiking, the athletes went to the Olympic Ice Arena for paddling practice. This is the arena where the Miracle on Ice took place in the 1980 Olympics. The athletes would paddle with their spike tipped gloves the length of the ice rink, over and over. The coaches look for weakness on one side of the body or the other, and adjust the athletes workouts to compensate.
Riley is approaching the upcoming season with a little apprehension and optimism. He will be required to step up his athleticism, and stay even more focused on himself and the sport if he is to stay on the team. He is also looking forward to sliding on three tracks in the coming season, Lake Placid, NY; Park City, UT; and Calgary, Canada. He is hoping the new wheeled track that simulates ice, located at the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex, will help him to maintain his technique.
To see more pictures of Riley and his teammates, log onto flickr.com/photos/uslaprg
