Germany’s Felix Loch wins Olympic gold medal in luge; 20-year-old is youngest luge champion

German Felix Loch easily wins luge gold

WHISTLER, British Columbia — Germany’s Felix Loch easily won the Olympic gold medal in men’s luge, a sport still reeling from the death of a Georgian racer during a training run.

The 20-year-old Loch finished in 3 minutes, 13.085 seconds, well ahead of teammate David Moeller in 3:13.764 and two-time Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler, who finished in 3:14.375 and settled for bronze.

Loch is the youngest luge gold medalist in history. He denied Zoeggeler’s bid to become the second luger to win three straight golds. Germany’s Georg Hackl won three in a row but had his streak stopped in 2002 by Zoeggeler.

Luge officials shortened the track after Nodar Kumaritashvili of the republic of Georgia was killed when he was thrown from the track at the end of a training run Friday.