Augusta Native Julia Clukey Just Misses on Making US Olympic Luge Team

Julia Clukey, who was a member of the 2010 Olympic Luge team, today (Dec. 13) fell just short in making this year's squad. She needed a top-five finish to guarantee a spot and she ended up in sixth by less than a tenth of a second at the World Cup event at Park City, Utah.

We've had the opportunity to speak with Julia numerous times through the years and she is without a doubt, not only a world-class athlete, but a world-class role model. We wish Julia nothing but success and best wishes!

Here is Julia's statement: "Missing out on the chance to compete in the upcoming Olympics is very disappointing. Tonight's race came down to fractions of a second and I gave it everything I had. As I've told the thousands of high school students and young people over the past few years, there are times in your life when you are going to face adversity and it's up to you how to respond to it. I certainly plan to learn from this experience and become an even stronger person. I wish my teammates the best of luck in Sochi and will be proud to support them in any way I can."