Tucker West aiming to live up to his family, not “future of USA luge” tag

Lake Placid (FIL/23 Nov 2024) Being given tags or comparisons at a young age can be the best or the worst starts for athletes. They can be a heavy burden for young, aspiring athletes, as they carry far from guaranteed promise on their growing shoulders. They can also be fuel to the burning fire for success however as Nina Zöggeler, daughter of one of luge’s greats Armin, showed in the Beijing 2022 Olympics coming 15th at her maiden Games as a 21 year old.

For Tucker West, being dubbed as the “future of USA luge” by American newspaper USA Today before his debut Games at Sochi 2014, has never really affected him.

“I don’t think it ever bothered me,” said the 29 year old from Ridgefield, Connecticut. “I had worked hard to get to the point that I could qualify for the Games in 2014, so I think, at the time, it felt validating with the work that I was putting in.

“Looking back, maybe it wasn’t the best label to have been given. I think it’s easier to put in work and take risks without the added pressure of expectations but at the same time, I don’t think it changed my approach to training at all.”

To say West has worked hard to this point is an understatement. Even getting to the USA’s luge development team required an enormous amount of dedication before getting to a World Championship or World Cup podium, not just from him but his family too.

Inspired by Salt Lake City 2002 which saw the men’s doubles teams of Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin and Chris Thorpe and Clay Ives win silver and bronze, West’s father Brett built their very own track in the backyard for his son to train.

This phenomenal build was noticed in a local newspaper by 1998 Olympic silver medallist Gordy Sheer, who was working for USA Luge at the time, and his 250 mile journey south from Lake Placid to the Wests’ home in Ridgefield proved to be pivotal for Tucker’s career.

“Few people build a ‘luge track’ at the scale we did in the backyard,” said West. “When Gordy came out, he recommended we try Luge on a real track with the Adirondack Luge Club, which would slide every weekend in Lake Placid.

“So, my dad and I eventually drove up to Lake Placid one weekend in the winter to try Luge on the track at Mount van Hoevenberg.

“We both loved it and slid together with the Adirondack Luge Club every weekend in the winter for about two years before I was able to try out for the USA Luge Development Team.”

Driving three hours there and three hours back from the Adirondack Mountains, a cross state trip, shows the incredible level of commitment West and his father put towards the sport.

What began as a passionate hobby turned into “undivided focus” sparking his permanent move to the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid.

After six individual World Cup podiums (two gold, two silver, two bronze), becoming a two-time men’s singles America-Pacific champion and winning three team relay World Championships medals (two silver, one bronze), West is undoubtedly recognised as one of the USA’s current top lugers.

Two things are left that elude him, however. An Olympic medal, which he will be hoping to achieve in Milano-Cortina 2026, his fourth Games, the other a World Championship singles medal.

The biggest date in the luge calendar for the 2024/25 season is set for Whistler, Canada and out of all seven of West’s previous World endeavours, the track in British Columbia he feels could be the place to end the hoodoo.

“I was close last year with fourth place in Altenberg,” he said where he reached a time of 1:48.695 in Germany, just behind the bronze medallist Felix Loch’s 1:48.630 on what is widely regarded as one of the world’s toughest tracks. “I am hoping Whistler will be a good opportunity for me. The track suites my strengths with a flat start ramp and a slow top section.

“I believe I will find the biggest gains by working on my sliding position and just getting better at relaxing on the sled and having fun with my sliding.

“I am hopeful I can make a good showing in Whistler this year.”

Indeed, on paper, Whistler should be the track for West to achieve this having never finished outside the top 10 in men’s singles there with his most meaningful result in 2022/23, coming fifth with a time of 1:39.914, getting both runs under 50 seconds.

But at 29, West is not the 18 year old spring Olympian who burst onto the scene at Sochi 2014.

In his peak athletic years, it would do no harm for West to quell those worries of unfulfillment, yet he insists that he races not only for himself but his parents that provided the foundational, unwavering support.

“I don’t know if Luge was my destiny or not. What I do know is that I had extremely supportive parents who I’m incredibly grateful for.

“I think they saw that Luge lit a spark in me that they just ended up dumping gasoline on by giving me all the opportunity and support to pursue what became a passion,” he added.

“Maybe Luge was my ‘destiny’ because had I shown a similar interest in soccer, baseball, or any other hobby, I’m sure they would have supported me in the same way they did for Luge.”

With all his positive recent history there, Whistler could be the best chance for West to give the due thank you his parents deserve.