Tony Benshoof

EVENT - LUGE

HEIGHT 6'1"

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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