Luge

VANCOUVER - A disagreement over training time at the Olympic sliding centre in Whistler, B.C., has frayed relations between the Canadian and U.S. luge associations and led one American official to warn Canada not to expect any favours leading up to future Winter Games.

"I've been in this position for 25 years and I won't forget,'' Ron Rossi, executive director of USA Luge, told The Canadian Press in an interview this week. "The U.S. will also be fortunate enough to have a Games at some point in the future.''

Tim Farstad, executive director of the Canadian Luge Association, called the dispute "different perspectives on the same situation.''

"They may be upset with us, I'm not sure,'' he said in a telephone interview from Calgary.

At issue is a handshake agreement USA Luge believed existed between the two associations.

Rossi said Canadian lugers were allowed 60 to 90 extra training runs on the sliding facility at Park City, Utah, in the years leading up to the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Rossi believed American lugers would be given similar training time if Canada was awarded a Winter Olympics.

Farstad said in the year before the Salt Lake Games, the luge world championships were held in Calgary.

"We made a specific agreement around that time frame because sliding on the Olympic track was important to us and sliding on our track in Calgary was important to them,'' he said.

Last winter, Rossi approached the Canadian Luge Association in hopes of being granted additional training dates on the Whistler track in advance of the 2010 Winter Games.

"My goal wasn't to duplicate 60 to 90 runs,'' he said. "My goal was to try and get two training weeks.

"After some very difficult discussions, we received a response back that you could have 18 runs.''

Farstad said the Americans wanted six extra weeks of training.

"They gave us a list of six different weeks of training,'' he said. "They might have come down to two, but in the beginning they said six and we offered one. We thought that was fair. We wouldn't give any other country that possibility.

"The only reason we even talk to the U.S. is because they've done it for us and we've done it for them. We kind of switch back and forth when we can and help each other because the European teams are so strong. We thought it was fair and equitable but they didn't seem to think so.''

Rossi denies asking for six weeks.

"There was never an expectation that we would receive six weeks of training time,'' he said in an e-mail. "We want fairness, but such a request would have been counter to that principle, so I can assure you it was never made.''

This isn't the first time Canadian sports federations have been accused of being overzealous in guarding their home-field advantage for the 2010 Games by restricting assess to Olympic venues.

Last March it was reported long-track speedskaters from outside Canada were being denied training time at the Richmond Olympic Oval.

At the time officials with Speed Skating Canada rejected any suggestion anyone was being treated unfairly. They said some of the teams had not followed proper protocol in booking time. Others were denied access because there was work being done in the building.

The Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee, known as VANOC, spent $580 million building or upgrading venues for the Feb. 12-28 Games. All were open at least one year in advance to give Canadian athletes time to practise in the facilities.

Between January and the end of March, seven World Cup events - including a luge race - were staged at Olympic venues in Vancouver and Whistler.

Each sports federation sets rules for international competition and practice time in Olympic venues prior to the Games. VANOC officials say in some cases, Canada has exceeded what is required.

The new track at the Whistler Sliding Centre - home to bobsled, luge and skeleton - is so fast and technical, extra training weeks were added.

VANOC officials did not want to comment directly on the disagreement between the two luge federations.

Farstad said during the initial luge testing for the track, the Canadian association told the Americans to bring a full team. Other countries were allowed just one or two sleds.

Rossi was a luge racer from 1978 to 1984. His wife was a member of Canada's luge team at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Rossi said a "unique relationship has existed for 30 years'' between the Canadian and U.S. luge associations, which "Canada has decided to ignore.'' He doubts there is much chance the U.S. will be granted any extra training time between now and when the track is closed for the Games on Jan. 1.

"Perhaps if I can somehow talk to the right person within Canada, and appeal to them on a level of just good sportsmanship and fairness, then maybe,'' he said.

"But I don't think so at this point.''

Farstad isn't worried the disagreement will result in future ramifications from Luge USA.

"We don't have a chill,'' he said. "I thought we offered a very fair and equitable agreement. They wanted more and we just said we couldn't do it.

"I don't think anything has really changed on our side. I can't speak for them.''