The Canadian national luge team is in the final preparation steps for the 2007 Viessmann Luge World Cup at Canada Olympic Park Nov. 23 and 24.

The men's team had a slow start at the season-opening event in Lake Placid, New York, with leaders Jeff Christie and Sam Edney finishing 22nd with 46.993 seconds and 26th with 1:47.263 respectively. Newly recruited coach and 1988 Calgary Olympic Games bronze medalist Wolfgang Staudinger is still hopeful about the team's chances this season and is focusing on the team's consistency.

"The biggest accomplishment we could achieve is if we have two consistent runs in our racing and then hopefully place in the top-10 in each discipline," Staudinger said. "Our biggest competitors are definitely Austria, Italy and Germany and the U.S."

Much of the team is excited to be on home turf again, citing Calgary as one of their favourite tracks. Though home advantage is something the team is very aware of, there is also a lot of pressure to live up to home crowd expectations.

Singles competitor Ian Cockerline is approaching this weekend's competition with apprehension, as last year's Calgary event witnessed the athlete crash in front of Canadian fans.

"I was concentrating too hard," he said. "If you restrict the sled too much by holding it on course too much, it actually slows the sled down. If you're riding a fast edge, the faster you hit an edge, the less control it gives you."

Cockerline added that he managed to get the sled back on the runners, but finished the run too slowly to make it off the out ramp. Despite last year's disappointment, he's hopeful about this competition and confident in Staudinger's guidance.

Women's singles competitor Meaghan Simister is entering her fourth season with the Canadian national team and her eighth season in luge. Her biggest goal for the weekend is consistency and maintaining her established accomplishments.

"The World Cup is here on Fri. night and I have a qualifying round on Thu., so hopefully all goes well and I can pass the qualifying round and race in the World Cup," she said. "You can have one fast run, but you have to have two clean, consistent runs if you want to make it to the top. Also, I broke the start record here last year at the World Cup, so I'd like to maintain that."

The two-man sled athletes will also get to see some action this weekend. Though there are a lot of similarities between the singles and doubles competition, doubles athlete Eric Pothier notes why he prefers the two-man sled.

"We both have huge power on the sled to steer, so there's not one guy who does all the steering," he said. "I've always liked doubles better. I'm not too crazy-competitive like singles and go all kamikaze. With doubles, I can just go and do my job and that's easier for me."

The excitement to race in Calgary isn't limited to the Canadian team. Top-ranked competitors Austria are also feeling good about this weekend's event.

"I feel good because, four years ago, we won the juniors [here]," said Austrian national team member Fischler George of Calgary's track. "It's a fun place. It's good for us."