One down...and one more to go...

Before our daughters were involved in trying to earn a spot on the Olympic team, I didn't stop to think about what it would take to reach that goal - or if I did, I simply thought it was based on their overall results in prior races.  What I've come to learn is that it is a VERY complicated process with many qualifying races - and some of them are simply designed to eliminate one athlete (the one who finishes last on that particular day) so the numbers can be whittled down. It's a LONG, stressful process that takes place over a course of months and it will inevitably cause tremendous disappointment for those whose dreams won't come true - at least not for another four years.  Oh - and there's always the wild card of "coaches' discretion" which means even if a slider is successful through all of the qualifying races, she may be displaced by another athlete who is deemed a better choice by the coaches.  It does happen...we know from personal experience.

Now that stressful process has started again.   I guess we should be relieved that only one of our daughters is going through it this time - but as funny as it may seem, it helped to have two of them involved last time as they were there to support each other.  This time, Emily is "flying solo"- and here's what's up... 

The first step is to be named to the US World Cup Luge Team - which requires any athletes who didn't "pre-qualify" based on their results in World Cup races last winter (like Emily) to compete against each other in two seeding races and finish in the top four overall (or be named through coaches' discretion).  These four will be named to the World Cup team - and they will compete on the international circuit over the next two months to earn points based on their finish positions.  These points then determine if they qualify for one of the three spots on the Olympic team.  If three athletes don't earn enough points to qualify, there will be one or more elimination races to get from four to the final three (or the coaches may choose to simply use their discretion to fill the remaining open spots).   Are you confused yet??  

The first seeding race for this year's World Cup Luge team was held last Sunday in Lake Placid, NY - and Emily finished fourth (that's one down!).  The second - and final - seeding race is this Sunday in Park City, UT (one more to go): 

http://www.usaluge.org/dyncontent.php?articleid=1696

After this, the top 4 women finishers (across the combined two seeding races) will be named to the World Cup team.  They'll leave early next week for training in Austria and Russia before the racing season begins in mid-November.  Let's hope that Emily is one of the four. 

Like us, you can watch this Sunday's final seeding race - and cheer Emily on to a great finish.  Just tune in via streaming video on the www.usaluge.org website.  

That's one down...and one more to go... Slide Fast, Emily!!