Chris Thorpe

Christopher " Chris " Thorpe ( born October 29, 1970 in Waukegan, Illinois) is a former American luger.

Career

Chris Thorpe was first with his partner Gordy Sheer in the 1990s and then with Clay Ives in the first half of the 2000s one of the most successful in doubles luge. Four times he took part in the Olympic Games. He first started with Sheer at the Games of Albertville 1992 ( 12th place), then 1994 ( 5th place) in Lillehammer and Nagano 1998 where the double behind the Germans Stefan Krausse and Jan Behrendt and before their simultaneous compatriots Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin the silver medal, and thus the first Olympic luge medal for the USA won. Four years later he was able to win with Ives at the Games of Salt Lake City, the bronze medal.

In the Luge World Championships in 1995 in Lillehammer and 1996 in Altenberg, he won the silver medal with Sheer respectively. After Thorpe / Sheer already were third in the seasons 1994/95 and 1995/ 96 in the overall World Cup standings, she won the overall title of the Luge World Cup 1996/1997. It was the first victory of non-European sledders in the World Cup. The double was fourth twice more. Four times they could decide World Cup races for themselves. In the season 1994/95 the double came in ten out of eleven races on the podium. Six times, between 1992 and 1995 as well as 1997 and 2000, he won the title of U.S. Champion, four times Thorpe was lugers of the year in the United States.