EVENT - LUGE

HEIGHT 6'1"

Visit Tony Benshoof's Website

OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS

2002 Olympic Winter Games - 17th
2006 Olympic Winter Games - 4th
2010 Olympic Winter Games - 8th

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2009 Norton U.S. National Champion
Two-time World Championship team event silver medalist (2004 & 2005)
2001 World Championship team event bronze medalist
Six-time Norton U.S. National champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 & 2005-2006)
Three-time Norton North American champion (2000, 2001 & 2004)
Top-ranked U.S. Luge athlete and ranked third in the world

BEST-EVER RESULTS

Finished fourth at the 2006 XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy
Finished 17th at 2002 XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Included in 2002 Guinness World Records Book for establishing the highest-ever recorded luge speed (86.6 mph) on Oct. 16, 2001
USA Luge's all-time singles leader in int'l medals won, 37 (6 gold, 11 silver, 20 bronze)
A two-time (2004 & 2005) World Championship team event silver medalist, a 2001 world championship team event bronze medalist
Raced to eight medals in 2003-04 (2 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze)
A two-time fall 2003 Challenge Cup gold medalist (Altenberg, Germany, Park City, Utah)
Set new Altenberg, Germany track record of 54.240 (Nov. 23, 2003)
Six-time Verizon U.S. National champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 & 2005-06)
Three-time Verizon North American champion (2000, 2001 & 2004)

2007-08 RESULTS

2007-08 World Cup Results: 7th, 15th, 10th, 9th, 16th, 10th, 8th, 17th
Finished 10th in the final 2008 overall World Cup rankings
A Fall 2007 World Cup team relay gold medalist (Nov. 17)
A Winter 2008 World Cup team relay bronze medalist (Jan. 6)
Finished 14th at the 40th World Luge Championships
Finished fifth in the 40th World Luge Championship team relay event
Finished seventh in the final 2008 overall Challenge Cup rankings
2008 Verizon U.S. National Championship bronze medalist

2006-07 RESULTS

2006-07 World Cup results: 21st, 9th, 11th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 3rd, 9th, 6th
Finished eighth in the final 2007 overall World Cup rankings
A two-time fall 2006 World Cup team event bronze medalist (Dec. 9 & Dec. 16)
Raced in all four 2006-07 World Cup team event races, leading USA Luge to the overall bronze medal
A fall 2006 Challenge Cup bronze medalist (Dec. 1)
2007 overall Challenge Cup bronze medalist
Finished 18th at the 2007 World Luge Championships
Finished fourth in 2007 World Luge Championship team event
DSQ at the 2007 Verizon U.S. National Championships
2006 JetBlue Airways U.S. national start championship silver medalist

PERSONAL

A 1993 graduate of White Bear Lake High School, he was a varsity letter winner his senior year in the triple jump. Competing in luge since 1990, he is USA Luge's all-time leader in international medals won, claiming 37 in total. He is the top-ranked U.S. luge athlete and ranked third in the world in men's singles luge.

DID YOU KNOW...?

Included in 2002 Guinness Book of World Records for establishing the highest-ever recorded luge speed (86.6 mph) on Oct. 16, 2001
Is USA Luge's all-time singles leader in international medals won: 37 (6 gold, 11 silver, 20 bronze)
Attended White Bear Lake High School (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and was a varsity letter winner his senior year, 1993, in the triple jump
His favorite quote is "90 percent of life is just showing up." - Winston Churchill
Tony has two brothers, Geno and Vince
Tony attended White Bear Lake High School (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and was a varsity letter winner his senior year, 1993, in the triple jump
Tony's favorite CD: "Livin' and Dying in 3/4 time"-- Jimmy Buffett
Tony's favorite quote is "Ninety percent of life is just showing up."-- Winston Churchill
Athlete Ambassador, Team for Tomorrow
Tony attends the Keller Graduate School of Management

Image by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Sophia Kirkby

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