Hawai'i kids to train with USA juniors

Advertiser Staff

Luge athletes from Hawai'i? Believe it or not, three Hawai'i athletes were named to the USA Luge three-member fall 2003 Junior Developmental team.

The three are David Chang (Kailua, Kona), Rachel Kwak (Honolulu) and Trevor Wold (Honolulu).

Chang, Kwak and Wold were among nearly 100 athletes (ages 10-14) who tried luge for the first time when they participated in a Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search clinic, held at Koko Head District Park in September.

"There is no reason to believe that a talented athlete from Hawai'i cannot be as successful as someone from Utah, Colorado or New York," said USA Luge Development manager, Fred Zimny. "No matter where the Slider Search visits, most athletes that we see are trying luge for the first time and have to be taught the basics like everyone else."

During the Search, Chang, Kwak, Wold and others impressed the luge staff enough to be invited to Lake Placid, N.Y., and participate in a January week-long screening camp.

While in Lake Placid, the three also took their first luge runs on ice.

In late February, Chang, Kwak and Wold returned to Lake Placid for a second round of instruction and sliding, before being named to the squad.

The trio will participate in three camps this summer in Lake Placid, where they will continue to train on wheel-equipped sleds, while working on their start technique in USA Luge's indoor facility. This winter they will continue their training and sliding on the 2002 Olympic course in Park City, Utah.