Army Sgt. Preston Griffall, 29, and Army Sgt. Matt Mortensen, 28, will compete Wednesday in the men's doubles luge competition at the Sochi Olympic games.
Both men are members of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program.
Griffall grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is a three-time USA Luge start champion. Griffall competed in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games but missed a berth in the 2010 Winter Olympics by hundredths of a second, according to his Army WCAP profile.
Griffall says of the chance to compete on the world stage yet again:
“To compete not only as an athlete, but also as a Soldier, gives me a great sense of pride and responsibility – knowing that our brothers and sisters in arms are out there fighting for the very freedom that allows us to be able to live the lives that we do."
Mortensen, the other half of the two-man luge team, calls Huntington Station, N.Y. his hometown. He is a three-time USA Luge start champion (with Griffall), and a two-time defending national champion. Mortensen says of making his Olympic debut in Sochi...
“I get emotional thinking about going to the Olympics. It’s been almost 17 years that I’ve been working towards this point, and for it to finally happen, it’s like a dream come true...”
The first run of the men's luge doubles is scheduled for 18:15 Sochi time. For a look at the order in which the luge atletes will be competing, click here.
