Canadian lugers offered $1m incentive to strike gold

From Sportsbeat staff, in Vancouver

CANADA'S lugers have had a million dollar golden carrot dangled in front of them as added incentive to capture a gold medal in Vancouver.

EXTRA INCENTIVE: Canadian lugers will recieve $1m should they top the podium in Vancouver (Getty Images)

Team sponsors Fast Track Group are offering one million Canadian dollars (approximately £600,000) to finish on top of the podium as well as $50,000 for a silver or bronze medal and $5,000 for the highest placed Canadian.

The top prize would be split between the athlete and the Canadian Luge Association and the motivation will remain in place for the 2014 Games in Sochi.

But despite such a generous offer, Canada's top lugers will be hard pushed to claim a medal in an event which has received little funding over recent years.

Whereas alpine skaters, figure skaters, snowboarders and speedskaters can receive six-figure sponsorship deals in Canada, athletes in other Olympic sports have often been left to fund themselves.

Two such athletes are Alex Gough and Sam Edney - the highest ranked Canadian lugers - who have had to rely largely on money raised themselves.

But despite this, Gough has finished in the top six at World Cup events four times this year and agonizingly came fourth at last year's World Championships.

Currently ranked seventh in the world, the 22-year-old, who was 20th at Turin 2006, says she will not be focusing on the money.

"We still have to go out there and do our job," she said.

"It's just about going out there and sliding and doing the best we can.

"If we can put it down and slide to our potential, we do have a shot but in the end it's really out of our hands."

Edney finished a career-best fifth to kick off this season's World Cup in Calgary and also managed a seventh place finish in Cesana.

The 25-year-old was 12th in Whistler in the pre-Olympic test event last year and is ranked 15th in the world.

"All of us going into the Olympics are not thinking about this million dollars," said Edney.

"We come here to compete, represent our country, and go for the best results you can.

"If that turns out to be a gold medal, what that is and what that is worth is more than what they are offering as a bonus.

"At the same time, that kind of support and push is unbelievable and it definitely lights something in each of us."