Key Takeaways
- USA Luge sliders had a solid weekend of World Cup racing in Winterberg, Germany, with nominations for the 2026 Olympic Team decided for men’s and women’s doubles.
- Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby became the first women’s doubles team to represent the U.S. on the Olympic stage, securing a nomination for the 2026 Olympic Team.
- The United States has qualified to compete in the team relay event at the 2026 Olympics, having secured nominations in all four disciplines.
- Summer Britcher, Ashley Farquharson, and Emily Fischnaller are expected to represent the U.S. in women’s singles at the 2026 Olympics.
- Jonny Gustafson and Matt Greiner will represent the U.S. in men’s singles at the 2026 Olympics.
Introduction to USA Luge’s Performance
USA Luge sliders put together another solid weekend of World Cup racing in Winterberg, Germany, with the Olympics looming. The competition marked the end of the qualifications for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, with the nominees of the men’s and women’s doubles decided for Team USA. Two-time World Championship medalists Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby secured a nomination for the 2026 Olympic Team and their legacy in USA Luge history as the first women’s doubles team to represent the U.S. on the Olympic stage.
Women’s Doubles Performance
In women’s doubles, Forgan and Kirkby were in fifth place going into the second heat, with the fastest start time of the second heat, and remained in fifth with a time of one minute, 27.315 seconds. Teammates Maya Chan and Sophia Gordon were just behind Forgan and Kirkby, landing in sixth place with a time of 1:27.419. The Olympic field will consist of 11 women’s doubles teams, with each nation competing likely to receive one entry. Germany’s Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal won the race in 1:26.710, followed by Austrians Selina Egle and Lara Kipp with a time of 1:26.810.
Men’s Doubles Performance
The Winterberg track was unforgiving for the men’s doubles teams, with almost no sleds immune to mistakes. All three U.S. sleds were no exception. Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaam placed 10th with a time of 1:26.176, while Zack DiGregorio and Sean Hollander were 12th in 1:26.290. Dana Kellogg and Frank Ike crashed as they entered the end of their first run but made it over the finish line to secure a spot in the second heat. The gold medal went to Germany’s Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt with a time of 1:25.599.
Women’s Singles Performance
Summer Britcher, wearing the World Cup Leader bib, was fourth going into the second heat, but a mistake pushed her back into fifth place with a time of 1:52.527. Emily Fischnaller overcame mistakes on both runs and held on to finish in 18th with a time of 1:53.296, earning the third qualification spot for the U.S. team. Ashley Farquharson did not finish her first run following a mistake in curve 13. The lineup for Cortina next month will be officially confirmed on Jan. 16, but is expected to feature Britcher, Farquharson, and Fischnaller.
Men’s Singles Performance
Jonny Gustafson was the top finishing sled for the U.S., placing ninth with a time of 1:43.640, while teammate Matt Greiner was 15th in 1:44.028, securing the two-time Junior World Championship medalist his first Olympic Team nomination. "Today was unbelievable. The men’s series all the way back to just making the World Cup team, came right down to the wire," Greiner said. Austrian Jonas Mueller won the race in 1:42.899, with Felix Loch of Germany in second in 1:43.004.
Team Relay Performance
Team USA began strong, with Britcher and then Mueller and Haugsjaa pushing off with the second fastest starts in their disciplines. Gustafson was up next, and then Forgan and Kirkby, who had the fastest start, brought the team to the finish. Team USA placed fourth with a time of 3:13.289, with Germany winning gold with a time of 3:12.106. The United States has placed no lower than fourth in the three races in which they’ve competed. In the overall World Cup standings, Austria is the leader with 355 points, Latvia is second with 270, and Germany is third with 255. The United States is seventh with 200 points.