Golden brothers: Austria’s Andreas and Wolfgang Linger defend Olympic gold in doubles luge

Austrian brothers win 2nd straight gold in luge

WHISTLER, British Columbia — Austrian brothers Andreas and Wolfgang Linger have won their second consecutive Olympic gold medal in doubles luge.

The Lingers completed their two runs in 1 minute, 22.705 seconds. Andris and Juris Sics of Latvia finished in 1:22.969 and won silver, and Germany’s Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch took bronze with a time of 1:23.404.

The Lingers are just the second doubles team to win in consecutive Olympics. Germany’s Hans Rinn and Norbert Hahn accomplished the feat in 1976 and 1980.

Christian Niccum and Dan Joye of the United States were sixth. Americans Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin, doomed by a bad start on their first run, finished 13th.

The Lingers were typical European children. They played soccer, went skiing and dabbled at a few of the team sports. But once they tried luge, the Linger boys separated themselves from the other kids. Invited to try the track at Igls, site of the sliding events for the 1964 and 1976 Innsbruck Games, they proved to be naturals on the ice.

Fearless and fast, they began a sliding career in tandem that has now made two pit stops at the Olympic medal podium.

When they skittered into the finish area and the second gold was theirs, Andreas, clenched both fists in front of his face and screamed. Then, he sat down on the track wall next to his younger brother, pulled his red sled off the track and planted a kiss on it.

Moments later, the Lingers threw their arms around each other’s shoulder and wrapped themselves in an Austrian flag like the one Andreas carried in while leading his country’s delegation into the opening ceremony.