LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) Reigning USA Luge national champion and 2014 Sochi Olympic team member Aidan Kelly will skip this year's international sliding season while recovering from a herniated disk.
Kelly is planning to train in the U.S. this winter, after he recovers.
Kelly was 20th in last season's World Cup standings, highlighted by an eighth-place showing on his home track at New York's Mount Van Hoevenberg.
USA Luge's national championships are Friday and Saturday in Lake Placid. Veteran U.S. men's luge athlete Chris Mazdzer also will not be present for the championships, since he'll be in Pyeongchang, South Korea, as part of a group selected to test the track that will host the 2018 Olympics.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.