Any Medal Would Be a Luge Breakthrough

Win or luge?

If only that were an option for the U.S. luge team, still medal-less after nine Olympic Games, never better than fourth in two-man and fifth in singles since the sliding sport made its Olympic debut in 1964.

Nagano, however, could be the crossroads. The United States brings to Japan the last two World Cup-champion two-man teams--1997 titlists Chris Thorpe and Gordy Sheer and the tandem that supplanted them for the 1998 championship in January, Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin.

And in singles, the Americans have the men’s 1993 world champion, Wendel Suckow, and a woman who was tied for second in the World Cup standings in mid-January, Cammy Myler.

Should any of them win as much as a bronze medal, it would break the long-standing four-nation stranglehold on the sport. In 30 years of Olympic competition, all 81 luge medals have been won by four countries--Germany, Italy, Austria and the former Soviet Union.

Favorites in men’s singles remain Germany’s Georg Hackl and Austria’s Markus Prock, the Connors and McEnroe of international luge. Hackl has won the last two Olympic gold medals, edging Prock both times--by only .013 of a second in 1994. Prock, however, returned fire this January, defeating Hackl decisively for the European championship.

Italy’s Gerda Weissenstein is back to defend her 1994 gold medal in women’s singles, challenged by 1997 world champion Andrea Tagwerker of Austria and 1996 world titlist Jana Bode of Germany.

Grimmette-Martin and Thorpe-Sheer will oppose a strong two-man field, led by the Austrian brother team of Tobias and Markus Schiegl, Germany’s triple Olympic medalists Stefan Krausse and Jan Behrendt, and Italy’s Kurt Brugger and Wilfried Huber.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

Again, this is Scandinavian territory. Norway won three of the five men’s events in 1994 --Bjorn Daehlie won two gold medals and two silvers--and earned at least one medal in every race. Daehlie is back to add to his gold-medal collection, now at five after two Olympics, along with countryman and rival Thomas Alsgaard, a 1994 gold medalist in the men’s 30-kilometer event.

Russia’s Elena Vaelbe is the woman to watch in Nagano. At the 1997 world championships, Vaelbe swept all five women’s races, an unprecedented accomplishment.

The United States has not won a medal in Olympic cross-country skiing since Bill Koch’s silver in Innsbruck in 1976--with no individual placing higher than 27th in 1994.

Nina Kemppel, who finished 27th in women’s 30K classical and 28th in 5K classical in Lillehammer, is the top American participant.

BIATHLON

Biathlon is a foreign concept looked on by most Americans as being one brick shy of a triathlon.

Americans know how to shoot, and Americans know how to cross-country ski, but both at the same time?

Biathlon began as a training exercise for Scandinavian soldiers assigned to border patrol. U.S. soldiers last were required to defend their border in 1812, and never on skis, so the Americans generally look rusty in these competitions.

Look for the Russians, Germans and Scandinavians to dominate, as usual. No U.S. biathlete has finished better than 14th in any Olympic competition.

NORDIC COMBINED

This combination of ski jumping and cross-country skiing features two events: individuals jumping off a small hill, then skiing 15 kilometers; and three-man teams jumping off a large hill and skiing a 30K relay.

Americans are 0-for-the-Olympics in Nordic combined, but Todd Lodwick is considered a dark horse for a medal in Nagano. Last season, Lodwick became the first American in a dozen years to score a victory on the World Cup circuit.

Times staff writers Mike Kupper and Ross Newhan contributed to this story.