Beijing Support Fund to usher in bold new era for British luge, says CEO Arnold

Thrill-seeking Brits who revel in a spot of snow-fuelled sledging are being urged to slide one step further ahead of next month's Winter Olympic Games. And catalysed by the help of an ‘game-changing' injection of funding, luge in this country could be on the cusp of a bold new era as Britain bids to become an ever-greater global force in the sport. Ad/> That's the rousing rallying cry from GB Luge CEO Gavin Arnold, who hopes Team GB ace Rupert Staudinger can spring a surprise at Beijing 2022 and catapult his passion further onto the British sporting map.

Beijing 2022Beijing Support Fund to usher in bold new era for British luge, says CEO Arnold43 MINUTES AGO Staudinger, 24, has been officially selected as Britain's sole luger for the Games after impressing at an Olympic test event in November and the Sochi World Cup last month. Those experiences were enabled by a £6,000 investment by UK Sport, whose Beijing Support Fund is propelling non-National Lottery-funded sports' preparation for next month to new heights. Arnold is acutely aware of luge's potential and hopes UK Sport's funding can inspire more British adrenaline junkies to take the ‘easy' step into competitive sliding.

He said: «The Olympics is absolutely critical for our sport. »Every four years, the eyes of the world are on us. We love our sport and it's fantastic to be involved in — it's fast, dynamic and a lot of fun.

«We want to spread it wider and there's a lot of potential out there to grow the sport. Every winter, we turn into a mass participation sport where everyone is out there with their sledges. »That's just replicating the type of stuff that Rupert will be doing out in Beijing.