Historic high for USA Luge’s Lillehammer world cup

USA Luge in Norway world cup. Photo: courtesy of USA Luge

LILLEHAMMER, Norway — Emily Sweeney and the doubles team of Chevonne Forgan and Sophie Kirkby headlined the best World Cup weekend for USA Luge on a foreign track in nearly nine years.

Sweeney and Jonny Gustafson finished second in the inaugural World Cup mixed singles race on Sunday, while Forgan and Kirkby finished third in the circuit’s first mixed doubles race.

Combined with Saturday’s results — gold for Forgan and Kirkby in women’s doubles and Sweeney’s silver in women’s singles — the Americans left Lillehammer with four medals. The last time they won that many on a foreign track on a World Cup weekend was Dec. 18-19, 2015, at Calgary.

“I feel great,” Sweeney said. “It was so much fun. I’m really enjoying this race format.”

The Utah Olympic Park provides proving grounds for USA Luge. The team was in town pre-season to fine tune their sleds and their sliding on the track’s consistent ice conditions. The only two tracks in the country are located in Park City and in Lake Placid.

Mixed singles

The German duo of Max Langenhan and Julia Taubitz — both of whom were singles race winners in Lillehammer this weekend — prevailed, with the Sweeney-Gustafson team second and the German team of Felix Loch and Marie Fraebel third.

Sweeney made up a slew of time in her half of the relay, lifting the U.S. to the silver.

“Emily put the backpack on for this race and I just hopped in there,” Gustafson said. “She carried us to second place and it was awesome.”

Mixed doubles

The Forgan-Kirkby duo, who won the women’s race on Saturday, teamed with the men’s sled of Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa for the mixed doubles bronze Sunday.

“We are so excited,” Forgan said. “This race was so much fun. We’re so happy to be racing with our newest teammates.”

The German team of Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt and Dajana Eitberger-Magdalena Matschina won mixed doubles gold, while the Latvian team of Martins Bots-Roberts Plume and Marta Robezniece-Kitija Bogdanova won silver.

“It was a lot of fun,” Haugsjaa said. “Definitely a bit nerve-racking for us.”

Men’s singles

In men’s singles on Sunday, Langenhan won, Wolfgang Kindl of Austria was second and Loch was third.

Gustafson was the top U.S. finisher, placing fifth.

Up next

The luge World Cup tour heads to Igls, Austria, next weekend, while the bobsled and skeleton tours will compete in Altenberg, Germany.