Dec 9, 2024
Team USA’s Emily Sweeney competes in the women’s singles race during Saturday’s FIL World Cup in Igls, Austria. (Provided photo — FIL/Michael Kristen)
IGLS, Austria — Team USA Luge’s Emily Sweeney of Lake Placid narrowly missed a podium spot, placing fourth overall in the women’s singles event during the second FIL World Cup race of the season Saturday. Meanwhile Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby placed fifth in women’s doubles, and the men’s doubles effort was led by youngsters Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa, who placed seventh.
Jonny Gustafson was the top American in Sunday’s men’s singles race. A relay event was also scheduled to take place on Sunday, but a malfunction forced the cancellation of the event.
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Women’s singles
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Sweeney missed Friday’s final training session while battling a cold. On Saturday, she showed no signs of weakness after posting the second fastest and fastest respective start times. The two-time Olympian and 2019 World Championship bronze medalist clocked in a time of 1 minute, 32.966 seconds to secure fourth.
“Fourth. You know, it’s not where you want to be, but I’m proud I had two decent runs,” Sweeney said. “I was sick this week, so to come out with a solid performance is something I’m really proud of. And watch out next week!”
Five-time World Cup winner Summer Britcher of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania placed seventh in 1:33.287. Emma Erickson of Park City, Utah, competing in her first full season on the team, placed 16th in 1:33.865. Olympian Ashley Farquharson of Park City, Utah, who placed fourth here last year, had problems with the exit of curve nine on both heats and finished 20th in 1:34.165.
Madeleine Egle of Austria was the gold medalist in 1:32.484. Germany’s Julia Taubitz won the silver in 1:32.724. Egle’s teammate Lisa Schulte was the bronze medal winner in 1:32.853.
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Women’s doubles
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Problems on the first run out of curve nine cost Forgan, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and Kirkby, of Ray Brook, a spot on the podium. Last week’s race winners crossed the line in 1:34.342, placing fifth.
Austrians Selina Egle and Lara Kipp won the race in 1:33.499. Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal of Germany were second in 1:33.850, while Latvians Anda Upite and Zane Kaluma were third in 1:34.109
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Men’s doubles
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Mueller, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Haugsjaa, of Framingham, Massachusetts, placed seventh in 1:33.050. The reigning Junior World Champions have thus far impressed in their first full season on the World Cup tour. At ages 19 and 20, respectively, they are the youngest team on the circuit. Olympians Zack DiGregorio of Medway, Massachusetts and Sean Hollander of Lake Placid, placed 10th in 1:33.446. The duo of Dana Kellogg of Chesterfield, Massachusetts and Frank Ike of Lititz, Pennsylvania sat in seventh place after the first heat, but had to intentionally roll the sled after an injury for Kellogg. He held his left shoulder in pain immediately after leaving the start handles. They did not finish the race.
The Latvian duo of Martins Bots and Roberts Plume took gold in 1:32.393, ahead of Germans Toni Eggert and Florian Mueller in 1:32.572. Austrians Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl were third in 1:32.682.
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Men’s singles
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Gustafson, of Massena, who placed fifth at last week’s event in Lillehammer, Norway, posted a two-run combined time of 1:41.006. He battled stomach illness all week, right up to race day. Three-time Olympian Tucker West, of Lake Placid, made a mistake in the upper section of the course during his second run. He placed 20th with a time of 1:43.445. Two-time Junior World Championship medalist Matt Greiner of Park City, Utah placed 26th in 50.798, while Junior National Team athlete Aidan Mueller of West Islip was 30th in 51.231. Since Greiner and Mueller sat outside the top 20 sleds following the first heat, they did not advance to take a second run.
Two years ago, the Austrian team swept the top four places, a feat repeated today. The winner, Nico Gleirscher, clocked a time of 1:39.713. Jonas Mueller was second in 1:39.808. A significant gap of nearly half a second separated silver from bronze, with Nico’s brother David finishing in 1:40.166. The top four sweep was completed by Wolfgang Kindl in 1:40.350.
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Team relay
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The team relay event was delayed initially and ultimately cancelled. A statement from the International Luge Federation described, “unforeseen technical challenges.” At race time, the weather featured intermittent heavy snow.
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World Cup standings
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In women’s singles, Taubitz holds the World Cup points lead with 185. Egle is second and holds a one-point lead over third place Sweeney, with 146 and 145 respectively. Britcher holds sixth place with 96 points, Farquharson is 13th with 63 and Erickson sits in 24th with 36.
Degenhardt/Rosenthal hold the lead in women’s doubles with 170 points after two of nine events. Forgan/Kirkby are second with 155, five points more than Egle/Kipp in third.
Eggert/Mueller and Bots/Plume are tied for first place with 185 points. Steu/Kindl are third with 140 points. DiGregorio/Hollander are ninth with 72 points, Mueller/Haugsjaa are 11th with 69 points and Kellogg/Ike 16th with 58 points.
Max Langenhan of Germany retains his overall lead in the standings with 155 points. Nico Gleirscher is second with 146, and Kindl third with 145. Gustafson sits in ninth with 89 points, and West in 14th with 53. Greiner sits in a three-way tie for 23rd with 35 points, while Aidan Mueller holds 29th with 24.
World Cup action continues in Oberhof, Germany, on Dec. 14 and 15, with the World Championships being held Feb. 6 to 8, 2025, in Whistler, British Columbia.
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