Church News - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Saving their best for last

Published: Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002

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For Werner Hoeger, competing in the Olympics is about fulfilling a teenage dream. At 48-years-old and the oldest to compete in the luge, he figures his gold medal comes in sharing his dream with his 17-year-old son, Chris, the youngest to participate. Members of the DeMeyer Park Ward, Meridian Idaho North Stake near Boise, the Hoegers trained for four years and represented Venezuela where Brother Hoeger was born.

Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred
Chris Hoeger and his father, Werner, bask in the euphoria of completing their best luge slides during their four years of training for the Olympics. They are the first father and son to compete in Olympic luge.

Stuart W. Johnson
Tamami Tanaka checks scoreboard following her first day of competition. She has been a member of the Japanese biathlon team since 1995, and is a member of the Moiwa Ward, Sapporo Japan West Stake.
Photo by Jason Olson
Sabine Ruckauer of the Waiblingen Branch, Stuttgart Germany Stake, is a defender on the German National ice hockey team. Her team in Germany won four consecutive national ice hockey titles. Her sister, Stefanie Wartosch-Kurten, also plays on the national team.

During a World Cup competition in Germany shortly before the Olympics "adversity struck during the race and I did not do as well as I had hoped. But I knew I had to keep the faith," Brother Hoeger said.

After completing his fourth run during the Olympics Feb. 11, Brother Hoeger stood a few feet from the luge course with tears in his eyes watching Chris complete his slide.

"These four runs during the Olympics were the best that both Christopher and I have ever had," he said. "We are indeed very grateful for having been able to fullfill this goal so well.

"My son and I have gone through so much the last four years and both of us had the best runs of our lives at the Olympic Games."