Sweeney, Arndt, Farquharson, 2,3,4, Luge UOP World Cup

Retiring athlete, Park City's Brittney Arndt (far right) got her first podium, 3rd place, on her home track at the Utah Olympic Park in the FIL Luge World Cup. Photo: courtesy of FIL // Mareks Galinovskis

PARK CITY, Utah — On Day 2 of the International Luge Federation (FIL) World Cup at the Utah Olympic Park , Emily Sweeney of USA Luge got her third 2nd place of the season. Brittney Arndt and Ashley Farquharson, both from Park City, had 3rd, and a 4th place finishes.

RESULTS:

Women’s Singles

1. GER, Eitberger, 1:26.471
2. USA, Sweeny, +0.140
3. GER, Taubitz, +0.148

USA placed 7th, 8th, and 13th.

Sprint Women Singles

1. GER, Taubitz, 31.717
2. GER, Eitbereger, +0.099
3. USA, Arndt, +0.185

USA placed 4th, 7th, and 10th.

Sprint Men’s Doubles

1. GER, Wendl/Arlt, 31.862
2. GER, Eggert/Brenecken, +0.010
3. AUT, Muller/Frauscher, +0.030

USA placed 7th, and 8th.

Sprint Men’s Singles 

1. ITA, Fischnaller, 27.552
2. AUT, Gleirscher, +0.088
3. GER, Loch, +0.130

USA placed 4th, 7th, and 8th.

Sprint Women’s Doubles

1. AUT, Egle/Kipp, 32.195
2. ITA, Votter/Oberhofer, +0.127
3. GER, Dengenhardt/Rosenthal, +0.275

USA placed 4th, 5th, and 7th.

Pete Gillwald is the President of the Wasatch Luge Club, he told TownLift, “It’s been six years since we’ve hosted the last World Cup. This is a great opportunity for the young athletes and newer officials to experience luge at such a high level. With the potential for another Olympics here in Park City, development sliders can envision what that could look like and give them the drive to get there. For me, having been an official for 26 years, it’s great to see coaches and athletes from years past and have the opportunity to get to engage with the next generation of coaches and athletes from around the world.”

After not being able to attend the Olympics in Beijing in 2022 to watch Farquharson of Youth Sports Alliance’s (YSA) Park City Nation due to a spectator ban from the pandemic, local luge friends and family members came out in force. Cow bells were in hand and signature glitter was on cheeks, just like Farquharson’s, as fans got to see her take 4th place in Saturday’s Sprint Women’s Singles race. Not held at every World Cup, Sprints consists of one run, not two, and 15 qualifiers not 30, and seconds of intervals between sleds, not minutes.

This being Arndt’s first time on a World Cup podium was made that much more special in front of the home crowd chanting “USA, USA, USA!”

Track records were broken in multiple disciplines.

One Latvian doubles team was disqualified for sled runners, or ‘steels’ warmer than allowed when checked at the top, and one Italian team for sled steels larger than allowed when checked at the bottom.

Noteworthy nations represented were Ireland, Argentina, and Taipei.

Olympian Sweeney of Connecticut, and her longtime life partner Olympic medalist Fischnaller of Italy both enjoyed podiums together at this event.

Arndt, Farquharson, and Olympic medalist and Salt Lake City resident Chris Mazdzer get to stay home for the holidays now before jetting off to Latvia for the next World Cup.