West is coming off a bronze medal in a World Cup event jan. 24 in Latvia.
In the event, Wolfgang Kindl of Austria, the Viessmann World Cup overall leader, and Chris Mazdzer of Saranac Lake, N.Y., were poised to win medal. But both wiped out on Curve 14 in the final heat. Blistering runs by defending world champion Semen Pavlichenko of Russia and Tucker West of Ridgefield jumped in to medal.
“The first run was OK. I was working out the cobwebs,” West told Team USA. His bronze gave Team USA its 16th World Cup luge medal of the winter, adding to its single season record. “This is only my second time in Sigulda. Last year was the first time. So I’m still slightly uncomfortable with the track. In the second run I was able to lay back a little bit more. But all in all, I was happy with both runs.”
Loch, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time World Champion, won his third straight World Cup race.
In December, West made luge history with his U.S. teammate Chris Mazdzer in a Luge World Cup race. In the race in Lake Placid, N.Y., Mazdzer earned his first-ever win in a luge world cup two-heat race, with West right behind him in second place.
West, 20, was a member of the 2014 Olympic team in Sochi. Teammate Mazdzer, 27, is a two-time Olympian. Both train in Lake Placid. Mazdzer now has the overall World Cup luge lead.
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