AMERICAN LUGER CAPTURES GOLD MEDAL

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 20, 1993                   TAG: 9302220170
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
AMERICAN LUGER CAPTURES GOLD MEDAL
Wendel Suckow of the United States made luge history Friday night when he captured the gold medal in the 1993 world championships at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.
Suckow used a strong second run to overtake two-time world champion Georg Hackl of Germany to capture the first world championship luge medal of any kind for the United States.
The 25-year-old from Marquette, Mich., was seven-tenths of a second behind Hackl going into the second run, but a strong second trip down the 1,200-meter artificial track propelled him into first place. Suckow's combined time was one-tenth of a second faster than Hackl.
\ For the first time, U.S. athletes competing in the world indoor and outdoor track and field championships will receive prize money.
The money, to be given to medalists, will come from USA Track & Field, the national governing body for the sport.
A USATF official said Thursday that gold medalists at the indoor championships would receive $5,000, silver medalists $1,500 and bronze medalists $500. Some of the world's top athletes have threatened to boycott both the world indoor and outdoor championships if sufficient prize money was not offered.
\ Bill Shoemaker and his family will receive $1 million from Ford Motor Co. as the result of a 1991 accident that paralyzed the former jockey, according to settlement papers. Shoemaker was driving a Ford Bronco II near San Dimas, Calif., when he veered off the highway and tumbled down an embankment.
Shoemaker, the winningest jockey in thoroughbred racing history, is now a quadriplegic. He resumed his career as a trainer after lengthy rehabilitation.
Keywords:
HORSE RACING

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB