One of the most precise-timed events at the Winter Games, the luge competition has always intrigued fans for its sheer speed and bravery by the athletes.

Luge, which is the French word for toboggan, made its Olympic debut in Innsbruck at the 1964 Olympic Winter Games with three events -- men's, women's and doubles. These three events have been a part of every Olympics since then.

The luge time is measured to .001 seconds, and that precision was necessary in 1998 in Nagano when Germany's Silke Kraushaar finished .002 seconds ahead of countrywoman Barbara Niedernhuber.

The athlete or athletes who navigate the course in the fastest total time after four singles runs or two doubles runs will win. The men's singles are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11 and Sunday, Feb. 12. The women's singles will take place Monday, Feb. 13 and Tuesday, Feb. 14, while the doubles are slated for that Wednesday.

The luge track, from the top, totals 19 curves and 4,708 feet, although the men and women enter the track at different points. The town of Cesana, which is about 55 miles from Torino, will be the site of the luge, bobsled and skeleton events.

TOP CONTENDERS AND CURRENT CHAMPIONS

Germany's Georg Hackl has been the best luger in the sport's history and has won medals at each of the last five Winter Games. He was ranked second in the 2005 World Cup standings. In those five Olympics, the 39-year-old Hackl has three gold and two silver medals. He was beaten by Italy's Armin Zoeggeler in 2002.

The 32-year-old Zoeggeler could be the favorite for the men's luge, considering the event is on his home ice. Zoeggeler won the silver medal in 1998 and bronze in 1994, and earlier this January secured his fifth overall World Cup luge title.

Russian Albert Demtschenko and Germany's David Moeller are expected to be the other top international contenders for the men.

Germany swept the women's luge medals in 2002 with Sylke Otto coming in first, followed by Niedernhuber and Kraushaar. The German women have won 26 of the 33 medals awarded since it was first held in 1964. Otto, Kraushaar and Germany's Tatjana Huefner are considered the top international competitors.

As for the doubles, the German team of Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch captured the gold four years ago in Utah, but the American duo of Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin earned the silver, while teammates Chris Thorpe and Clay Ives earned the bronze.

Leitner and Resch are three-time world champions and expect to be the favorites at their second Olympics. However, Italians Christian Oberstolz and Patrick Gruber could get a huge lift from the hometown crowd, as the duo are the reigning World Cup overall champs.

U.S./CANADIAN OUTLOOK

There are 10 members of the U.S. Olympic luge team, and four sliders have Olympic experience. Grimmette and Martin lead the doubles team.

No U.S. Winter Olympic male athlete has ever won three consecutive medals in as many Games, but this year luge competitors Grimmette and Martin will try to become the first duo to break that mold.

The team of Grimmette and Martin earned a bronze in 1998. Only figure skater Beatrix Loughran and speedskater Bonnie Blair have won medals in three straight Olympics, but Grimmette and Martin have their eye on history. Read More About The Duo.

Grimmette and Martin will be joined by first-time Olympians Preston Griffall and Dan Joye.

The U.S. men's singles team will feature 2002 Olympic veteran Tony Benshoof and a pair of Olympic rookies in Christian Niccum and Jonathan Myles. Benshoof was 17th in 2002.

Courtney Zablocki is the lone returning Olympian on the women's team for the U.S. after finishing 13th in 2002. Olympic rookies Samantha Retrosi and Erin Hamlin are also on the team.

A total of 10 Canadian athletes were also named to the Olympic squad, with Regan Lauscher highlighting the roster. She became the first Canadian woman to compete in luge at the Olympics in 2002, when she finished in 12th place. Lauscher is also Canada's first ever World Cup silver medalist.

Three men, three women and two doubles teams will wear the maple leaf in Torino. The doubles team could be the best shot for a medal with Calgary brothers Chris and Mike Moffat leading the charge.