How U.S. Winter Olympic athletes are selected

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Luge
The Olympic luge roster of three men’s singles sliders, three women’s singles sliders and two men’s doubles teams was selected based on results from World Cup events.

The double’s team of Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin are looking to make history at Turin by becoming the first U.S. male athletes to win three consecutive medals in three straight Olympic Winter Games. Figure skater Beatrix Loughran and speedskater Bonnie Blair are the only Americans to accomplish the feat.

In addition to their two Olympic medals, Grimmette and Martin, who first teamed together in 1996, have become USA Luge’s all-time leaders in international medals won, with 50.

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The pair secured the first U.S. team berth with a World Cup win earlier this year in Calgary.

The duo has grabbed three overall World Cup crowns, nine World Cup race wins, four world championship bronze medals, two overall Challenge Cup titles and the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games’ gold medal.

The rest of the men's team was decided Dec. 21 at Lake Placid, N.Y. The team of Preston Griffall and Dan Joye grabbed the other remaining doubles’ spot by winning a race-off with Patrick Quinn and Christian Niccum.

Tony Benshoof is a medal favorite among the men’s singles set, while Jonathan Myles clinched the second Olympic spot by beating 17-year-old Chris Mazdzer — his roommate — by 0.161 seconds in their two-run raceoff.

Samantha Retrosi, Erin Hamlin and Courtney Zablocki grabbed the three singles slots for the U.S. women.

Bumped from the team was Ashley Hayden, who finished eighth in Salt Lake City.

CONTINUED : Alpine skiing