Key Takeaways
- Summer Britcher wins her second women’s singles luge event of the season, moving her to the top of the World Cup standings
- Britcher has a chance to become the first American to win a World Cup overall singles crown
- The USA Luge team, including Britcher and Ashley Farquharson, seem well on their way to formal nominations to the Olympic team
- The Winterberg World Cup stop will be the last Olympic qualifying races of the season
- Germany continues to dominate the bobsled season, with a sweep in the women’s bobsled race and a win in the four-man race
Introduction to Summer Britcher’s Success
Summer Britcher is flying into the Olympics, having secured her second women’s singles luge win of the season. This victory has moved her to the top of the World Cup standings, further cementing her status as a medal contender for the Milan Cortina Olympics next month. Britcher’s win in Sigulda, Latvia, was a result of her rallying in the second heat, topping Lisa Schulte of Austria and Julia Taubitz of Germany. Her two-run time was 1 minute, 23.840 seconds, while Schulte finished in 1:23.877 and Taubitz in 1:23.931.
Britcher’s Career and USA Luge
Britcher’s win in Sigulda marks her seventh career singles win, extending her record for USA Luge sliders. She has had a successful season, with three medals – two golds and a bronze – in three singles races. Britcher has a chance to become the first American to win a World Cup overall singles crown, a feat that has only been achieved by four USA Luge sliders in men’s doubles. Despite missing a race, Britcher leads the points standings, showcasing her dominance in the sport.
The Road to the Olympics
The USA Luge team, including Britcher and Ashley Farquharson, seem well on their way to formal nominations to the Olympic team. Emily Fischnaller, who was fourth entering the second heat, lost control toward the bottom of the track and came off her sled, but walked off appearing to have avoided injury. There are still multiple paths for Fischnaller to return to the Olympics, with the next weekend’s World Cup stop in Winterberg, Germany, likely to decide the fates for several sliders. The Winterberg races are the last Olympic qualifying races of the season.
Team Relay and Men’s Singles
In addition to her women’s singles win, Britcher also helped USA Luge capture bronze in the team relay. Schulte and Austria won the team relay, with host Latvia second and the American team finishing third. In the men’s singles race, two-time Olympic singles champion Felix Loch of Germany got his 55th career win, two away from the all-time record of 57 held by retired Italian great Armin Zöggeler. Jonas Müller of Austria was second, and Max Langenhan of Germany was third.
Bobsled and Skeleton
In Winterberg, Germany, the host Germans swept a women’s bobsled race, while Kaillie Humphries Armbruster of the U.S. narrowly missed a medal spot. Laura Nolte drove to the win for Germany, holding off teammates Lisa Buckwitz and Kim Kalicki. In the four-man race, the season of absolute dominance for Germany continued, with Francesco Friedrich driving to the win, Johannes Lochner was second, and Adam Ammour rallying in the second heat to finish third. The Germans now have 28 World Cup medals this season in men’s bobsled, with the rest of the world combined having only two.
Upcoming Events
The bobsled, skeleton, and luge seasons continue, with upcoming events including the women’s monobob and two-man World Cup races in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and the men’s singles and women’s singles World Cup races in Winterberg, Germany. The USA Luge team plans to announce its Olympic team around January 12, and the U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams for the Milan Cortina Games are expected to be unveiled on January 19. As the seasons progress, athletes will continue to compete for Olympic spots and medals, making for an exciting and intense few weeks of winter sports.