West Islip’s Aidan Kelly recently won the 2013 Norton Jr. National competition, the second time he has won the luge title.
Kelly, 18, is currently ranked as the top American holding the No. 13 spot in the world for the sport of luge in the category of Junior sliders (men to age 20). He also completed his fifth year of competitive sliding.
On day one of the Norton Jr. competition, Kelly took to the ice in the seventh slider position and completed two runs on the 4,740.81-foot track in 1:32.586. He trailed leader Tucker West by 0.149 seconds and earned a silver medal for the day.
On day two, Kelly completed his first run in 46.096 seconds and his second run in 46.088 seconds. His second run proved to be the game changer with the combined total for the day of 1:32.184. The four run cumulative time total was 0.139 seconds faster then West and enough to allow Kelly to capture the title.
The Junior National Luge Champion is crowned following a weekend of racing. The four-run race format held over two days is used to emulate the Olympic competition schedule. Each day, two race heats take place for the men, women and doubles sliders. The champion is decided by the cumulative times over the two days.
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