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luge

(Encyclopedia)luge lo͞ozh [key], a type of small sled on which one or two persons, lying face up, slide feet first down snowy hillsides or down steeply banked, curving, iced chutes similar to those used in bobsled...

Bjørndalen, Ole Einar

(Encyclopedia)Bjørndalen, Ole Einar, 1974–, Norwegian biathlete, generally regarded as the greatest champion in the history of the biathlon, a combination of cross-country skiing and target-shooting. He competed...

Haile Gebrselassie

(Encyclopedia)Haile Gebrselassie, 1973–, Ethiopian track athlete. Adept at both indoor and outdoor distance events as well as long-distance cross-country and marathon running, Haile won major races in distances r...

Peter, epistles of the New Testament

(Encyclopedia)Peter, two letters of the New Testament, classified among the Catholic (or General) Epistles. Each opens with a statement of authorship by the apostle St. Peter. First Peter, the longer book, is addre...

Tempe, Vale of

(Encyclopedia)Tempe, Vale of, Gr. Témbi, valley, c.5 mi (8 km) long, E central Greece, NE Thessaly, between Mt. Olympus and Mt. Óssa. Traversed by the Piniós River, the valley is famous for its rugged grandeur. ...

Williams, Venus Ebone Starr

(Encyclopedia)Williams, Venus Ebone Starr, 1980–, b. Lynwood, Calif., and Serena Jameka Williams, 1981–, b. Saginaw, Mich., African-American tennis players. Coached by their father, Richard, both sisters turned...

Thorpe, Jim

(Encyclopedia)Thorpe, Jim (James Francis Thorpe), 1888–1953, American athlete, b. near Prague, Okla. Thorpe was probably the greatest all-round male athlete the United States has ever produced. His mother, a Sac,...

Wilkinson, Charles Burnham

(Encyclopedia)Wilkinson, Charles Burnham (Bud Wilkinson), 1916–94, American football coach, b. Minneapolis, Minn. He was an all-around athlete at the Univ. of Minnesota and later was assistant football coach at S...

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