The reigning U.S. Olympic bronze medal-winning doubles luge team took the bronze Saturday in the opening round of the 2000-01 eight-race World Cup series.
The American women, none older than 20, all finished in the top 15, while the three-member American men's singles team was set to begin Sunday in Sigulda, Latvia.
In doubles Mark Grimmette, Muskegon, Mich., and Brian Martin, Palo Alto, Calif., won the bronze with a two-run time of 1:26.492 — luge is the only Olympic sport measured to the thousandth of a second.
Martin called the medal a "confidence builder" in a statement issued by USA Luge.
The Germans, a traditional luge powerhouse, finished one-two in the World Cup doubles opener. Steffen Skel and Steffen Woller claimed gold with a time of 1:26.279 while teammates Sebastian Schmidt and Andre Forker finished at 1:26.445 in silver medal position.
America's newest doubles team of Chris Thorpe, Marquette, Mich., and Clay Ives, Lake Placid, N.Y., finished 12th at 1:27.620. Thorpe won a silver medal in the 1998 Nagano Games with now-retired teammate Gordy Sheer.
In the women's competition 19-year-old Ashley Hayden, Westboro, Mass., led the Americans finishing ninth. Brenna Margol, Sawyer, Mich., and Becky Wilczak, River Forest, Ill., finished 10th and 11th respectively. Courtney Zablocki, Highlands Ranch, Colo., rounded out the women's four-member team in 15th place.
Mirroring the doubles results, two Germans took gold and silver in the women's event.
E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com