Olympian Jon Owen to continue coaching Park City luge team

USA Luge announces coaching staff for upcoming winter. Photo: courtesy of FIL // Mareks Galinovskis

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – With the 2023-24 luge season just over a month away, the USA Luge coaching roster was announced on Oct. 25, featuring a mix of returning and new staff members.

Lubomir Mick, an Olympian for Slovakia, will serve as head coach. He is joined by Kaspars Dumpis, an Olympian from Latvia, and Toni Eggert of Germany. Mick has been a national team coach with USA Luge for the past 10 years, while Dumpis will serve his second year as a National Team coach.

Jon Owen returns as Park City’s Western Regional coach and national technical associate with Wasatch Luge Club at the Utah Olympic Park.

Eggert is new to the national team coaching roster following his retirement from competition in August 2023. One of Germany’s most decorated luge athletes, Eggert won bronze at the 2018 and silver at the 2022 Olympics, as well as five consecutive world championship titles and a record 54 World Cup races, all with partner Sascha Benecken.

Jakub Šimonák will serve as National Team manager.

Pat Anderson returns as head coach of the Junior National Team after his athletes won eight medals in youth and junior events last season. He will continue to be supported by Artūrs Dārznieks as Junior National Team coach. Darznieks is a 2018 and 2022 Olympian who raced for Latvia. Keith Younger will serve as Junior National Team manager.

Aidan Kelly, a 2014 Olympian, remains in charge of the Junior C teams, with two-time Olympian Jayson Terdiman joining Kelly as Junior C Team coach. The Junior D Team coaching staff includes Sam Day and Zach Layton.

Caroline Kannel will travel with the National Team as their trainer, while Tori Lam will serve in the same role for the Junior National Team.

The 2023-2024 World Cup season will kick off in the United States Dec. 8-10 in Lake Placid. The team will hit the ice in Latvia and Norway later this month in preparation for the campaign.