Saturday, March 24, 2001
Christie on fast track to Salt Lake
By KAREN CLARK -- Calgary Sun
His biography reads: 'My long-term goal is to compete in the 2006 Olympics.'
Well, do a little dance and give him a couple of yahoos!
Jeff Christie has a 75% chance of luge-ing down the Salt Lake track in 2002.
The Calgarian struggled through this World Cup season. He finished with a high of 24th and low of 47th, with a DNF to start his first season on the senior national team.
But at his inaugural world championships at Canada Olympic Park last month, it was a different story.
The 18-year-old Bowness high student placed 16th in the world and earned himself a Salt Lake City berth.
"I was kind of shocked but I knew I could go fast in Calgary," said Christie.
"Luge Canada pushed to get the worlds bid because it would give us home-track advantage."
The home track created a whole new kind of problem for Luge Canada.
For the first time in the history of the sport, there are more men qualified for the Games than there are spots available.
Christie has met the IOC and COA qualification criteria but so have Calgarians Tyler Seitz, Chris Moffat and Kyle Connelly.
Luge Canada has instituted a points ranking system for the four sliders -- five points for first place out of the Canadians; three for second; two for third; and one for fourth -- to determine which three get to slide in Salt Lake City. Christie sits fourth right now.
"Tyler is way ahead but I am one point behind third, and two points behind second," said Christie, the reigning junior Canadian champ.
"They're all very good. I am going to have to fight for it. It's great."
There are two more races -- in Salt Lake City and Lake Placid -- next fall that count towards the final tally.
Christie has improved his down time by almost a second this season. And now that Canada has joined the ranks of luge powerhouses such as Italy, Germany and the U.S. by opening an indoor start facility -- CODA's new Ice House at COP -- who knows what the rookie slider will produce next season?
"I am going to have to train hard all summer to come out on top," said Christie.
"My muscle mass has improved, but I need work on my upper body and explosiveness."
"No matter how good you are, you have to work on your starts. The Ice House will make a big difference."
Lugers race at speeds up to 130 km/h, but this daredevil doesn't seem to need any help with his fear factor.
"No risk, no fun," said Christie.
During the final run of the junior 1 -- under 17 -- World Cup of the 1999-2000 season, Christie crashed on the last corner.
"I was laying back and being long, I went into the curve early and just flipped over," said Christie. "It was just a normal crash, no big deal."
Christie missed out on an undefeated junior 1 World Cup season. But he still won the overall title he'd already clinched it at World Cup 4.
You could say Christie's rise to the top, or fall to the finish, as it were in luge, has been rapid. But he's revamped his expectations accordingly.
"My goal was 100 percent 2006, but now I have a great chance for 2002," said Christie. "That's my goal now."
2002 Games Luge Coverage
