Bobsled champ takes off on new Olympic track

Pierre Lueders, a four-time Olympic bobsledder, and brakeman Justin Kripps unexpectedly caught some air while trying out the brand new Whistler Sliding Centre track on Blackcomb Mountain on Thursday.

The pair were near the end of the first test run when their two-person bobsled hit a ridge near the deceleration zone and took to the air.

On the first test run of the new Whistler Sliding Centre track, Canadian bobsledders Pierre Lueders and brakeman Justin Kripps caught some air time near the bottom of the track.
(VANOC)

They landed safely and crews subsequently shaved down the ridge for the remaining runs of the day.

"What a rush," said Lueders after the run. "And what a privilege to be the first ones down the newest Canadian sliding track."

Lueders and Kripps are aiming for gold at the 2010 Games and hope having the track open two years before the Games will give them an edge over the competition.

"I've driven every track in the world and each one has its own personality," said Lueders. "The Whistler track was challenging and will unquestionably test the skills of the world's best sliding athletes."

The test runs started with a walk down the track on Wednesday to inspect it and to familiarize themselves with the ice quality, lighting, visibility, speed and best line.

Following the inspection, Lueders and Kripps began a series of six runs from the lower start. Eventually they made six runs right from the top of the track, testing the track's 10 winding corners over the course of two hours.

"We're pleased with the way the track performed in these first test runs, and made a few adjustments and observations," said Craig Lehto, VANOC's director of The Whistler Sliding Centre.

Ski jump and cross-country centre also opened

The first runs on the track came just days after the official opening of another Games venue.

On Saturday, the newly constructed Whistler Olympic Park, which will host the cross-country and ski jumping events, also opened with a race featuring 100 participants.

Located in the Callaghan Valley, 20 kilometres south of Whistler, the Whistler Olympic Park will host the biathlon, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined and ski jumping events during the 2010 Winter Games.

The venue's 14 kilometres of competition trails include two five-kilometre loops for cross-country skiing and one four-kilometre loop for biathlon.

Also included is Canada's first Paralympic competition course, specifically created for athletes with physical disabilities.

Surrounding the core facility are an additional 25 kilometres of recreational trails and the two Olympic ski jumps.