The third Australian athlete selected for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games has been ratified by the Australian Olympic Committee today.
The third Australian athlete selected for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games has been ratified by the Australian Olympic Committee today.
Luge competitor Hannah Campbell-Pegg is thrilled to have her place confirmed on her second Olympic Winter Team after consistent performances on the World Cup circuit.
“It’s a great relief to be selected and I’m really happy to be on the Australian team and going to my second Olympics,” Campbell-Pegg said from her current training base in Germany.
Campbell-Pegg is Australia's third luge competitor and second woman slider, following in the tracks of Dianne Ogle at Albertville 1992 and Roger White in Lillehammer in 1994. Having competed at Torino 2006, where she placed 23rd, Campbell-Pegg will make history in Vancouver as Australia’s first luge dual-Olympian.
An intense training regime that combines track sliding twice a day, weights sessions, hours of finetuning her sled and travelling the world on her own have ensured Campbell-Pegg met the requirements to finish the qualifying season amongst the top 30 women in the world.
“My training has been going really well,” she said. “I have achieved personal best results on every track which was a season goal and with only one-second separating first and thirtieth anything can happen.”
As is the nature of the sport, the Sydney-based athlete has not only gained fast sliding times, but a number of injuries and set backs as well. In competition at Canada and Austria, she sustained two concussions, two trips to the hospital and countless bruises but has maintained a positive attitude and set realistic goals for Vancouver.
“In Vancouver I want to have four clean, good, solid runs,” Campbell-Pegg said. “Hopefully at the end of the day, the time on the clock will be in the top 20.”
Luge made its Olympic debut at the 1964 Games in Innsbruck. The sport involves a competitor propelling themselves feet-first down a refrigerated ice track, reaching speeds upwards of 140km/h. At the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, luge will be held at the Whistler Sliding Centre known and feared by many as the fastest track in the world.
Short track speed skaters Tatiana Borodulina and Lachlan Hay were the first Australian athletes to book their ticket to Vancouver when their selection was confirmed before Christmas.
The final Australian team will be known by 30 January with the Team expected to comprise 35 athletes from 10 or 11 of the possible 15 sports.
Australian athletes have medalled at the past four Olympic Winter Games starting with a short track relay bronze in Lilehammer in 1994. There are high hopes for the 2010 Team adding to Australia’s current Olympic Winter medal tally of 2 gold (Bradbury, Camplin) and 3 bronze (Short track relay, Steggall, Camplin).
AOC
