Saturday, November 10, 2001
Seitz set on Games
By CAMERON MAXWELL -- Calgary Sun
Tyler Seitz knows his time is running short.
The Calgary luger realizes the Olympics in Salt Lake City might be his last games and therefore his final chance for a medal.
That's why the 25-year-old is focusing all his attention, all his training and all his mental fortitude on success in February.
"Every race is important, even the World Cup, obviously because it's World Cup, but really it doesn't matter if I'm 15th or whatever here (at this weekend's event), it matters at the Olympics," said Seitz, who will compete in today's Viessman World Cup.
"I have to keep my strength up and keep making little gains before Christmas so I can peak in February instead of plateauing now and going down, which is no good."
Seitz has been a luger since 1988, devoting over half his life to the sport he loves but saying it's time to put it all together.
"I've been at this a long, long time and if I can't perform now, who knows if I ever will. I think every sports person has to look themselves in the mirror at certain points in their career and say 'is this worth it,'" said Seitz.
"I looked at myself in the mirror after last season and said I'd give it a shot and work hard over the summer and the season and then see what happens at the Olympics."
Seitz feels a medal next year is not out of the question, despite the difficulties of the Park City track.
"The top curves at that track are very difficult -- last week when I was there I crashed five times, which doesn't sound very good but it was just the first couple of days and just shows you how difficult it is," said Seitz, who finished 13th last year on the World Cup circuit.
"But then over the last few days I was there, I got it great and I was going fast."
At last season's World Cup event in Utah, Sietz finished 10th despite hitting three walls, so he feels he'll be ready to make it count come the Olympics.
"It's such a difficult track, even the best in the world can mess up, so whoever's most consistent through four runs is probably going to win."
And consistency is the name of the game for Seitz, who's been steadily improving for two years and hopes that translates into good Olympic runs.
"It may take someone making mistakes for me to win if I have four clean runs. You've got to be clean and consistent," he said.
2002 Games Luge Coverage
