Chris MAZDZER

DOUBLES
Since the 2018/19 season, has been competing with his former junior doubles partner Jayson Terdiman (USA). Finished eighth in the overall season standings in their first season together, with their highest result a fifth-place finish at the World Cup in Calgary. The two had previously won bronze and silver medals at the Junior World Championships (2007, 2008), placing second overall in the season standings in 2008. At the 2008 Junior World Championships, they won gold in the relay (with Kate Hansen), with Mazdzer racing both the singles and doubles legs of the event. (Instagram, 16 Oct 2018; teamusa.org, 28 Oct 2021)

PRE-OLYMPIC STRUGGLES
Prior to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, he opened up publicly on social media about the struggles plaguing him in a season where he finished 18th in the overall standings. “There comes a point where giving it everything you have and believing in yourself starts to fade away and I am almost to that point. For some reasons unknown to myself, things are not working out as planned. I am not someone to walk away during a struggle although this struggle seems to be getting the best of me. There is a light somewhere in this dark cave that I feel like I am stumbling aimlessly through at times and you better damn believe I'm going to find it." He sought inspiration by lying on his competitors' sleds. He adjusted his own late at night. He considered walking away from the sport, but in PyeongChang, he found that light. (Instagram, 21 Jan 2018; jacksonville.com, 11 Feb 2018; si.com, 21 Feb 2018)

RETIREMENT
Has said that the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games will be his fourth and final Games. He has been studying to become a certified financial planner and hopes to be able to help athletes, especially those outside of lucrative sports, to better manage their money. “I would love to have the opportunity to make that difference in someone’s life. Money is a pretty serious part of everyone’s life, whether we choose to accept it or not.” (cnbc.com, 17 March 2018)

DANCING WITH THE STARS
Competed in Season 26 of the reality show "Dancing with the Stars" in 2018. In the abbreviated season, he and partner Witney Carson advanced to the third and penultimate week, placing fourth, fifth and sixth in each round. (screenrant.com, 17 Oct 2020)

ECO WARRIOR
In addition to his roles on the executive board of USA Luge and FIL, was named the IOC's first sustainability ambassador in 2019. The programme was "designed to bring globally significant issues like climate change and ocean plastics to a wider audience, and to give athletes a voice in something that they’re passionate about."

As a winter Olympian, he is at the forefront of climate change and has been using his platform to promote sustainability for years. “Most people have a hard time believing scientists and politicians, but for some reason, they really connect with athletes, and if athletes have a message fans will listen to it.” (sustainabilityreport.com, 20 May 2019)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

With a silver medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, became the first US and first non-European man to medal in singles.

Following back-to-back sixth-place results at the 2014 and 2015 World Championships, was just off the podium in fourth in both the singles and sprint events at the 2016 World Championships.

His third in the overall singles standings in the 2015/16 season tied the highest placing of a US luger. Won both domestic World Cup races that season on his home tracks of Lake Placid and Park City, and was just 0.035 seconds out of first at the season's final event in Winterberg.