Luge Athlete Erin Hamlin Makes Historic Run

Hamlin earns a medal in the singles luge event - a first for the U.S.

History was made at the Sanki Sliding Center track Tuesday as American Erin Hamlin became the first U.S. luge athlete to medal in the singles event.

Special Section: Sochi 2014

Hamlin finished with the bronze medal behind Natalie Geisenberger and Tatjana Huefner of Germany in the final run of the luge competition Tuesday morning.

Geisenberger finished four runs in 3 minutes, 19.768 seconds topping Huefner by 1.139 seconds, the second-largest winning margin in Olympic women's luge history.

Hamlin was another 0.236 seconds back for the bronze.

She was second after the first heat, then slipped to third after the second run.

Get women's luge singles results

Hamlin was 12th in Torino and 16th in Vancouver but she said she felt she was ready for the medal stand this time around.

Previously, a U.S. man or woman has finished in fourth three times in Olympic history.The U.S. has four Olympic luge medals, all in doubles, two silver and two bronze.

Hamlin was one of the U.S. athletes who stopped in San Diego for training before the trip to Sochi, Russia.

She joined fellow luge and bobsled athletes at the wind tunnel to get specific measurements on how to move their body to gain as much speed as possible. 

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