Catch Ireland’s one and only luge athlete at the UOP’s upcoming World Cup in Park City

PARK CITY, Utah — World class athletes are already training at Utah Olympic Park in preparation for the Nations Cup and World Cup Dec. 12 and 13. This week the sole member of the Irish luge team, Elsa Desmond, has been training here.

Desmond decided at the early age of eight that she wanted to be a luger. It took another eight years before the camp — the only pathway into the sport — finally allowed her to join. Run by the British military, it had never before admitted a civilian, let alone a girl. While her parents thought she would return not wanting to pursue the dream further, they were mistaken. Desmond rode down the luge track and loved it. Both her parents, being from athletic backgrounds of their own, were very supportive when they found out their daughter was serious about pursuing the sport.

While definitions of what makes a “small nation” may vary, Ireland fits them all — and so does the Elsa’s underdog spirit. Determined and disciplined, Desmond not only chased her unlikely dream of becoming a luger, but went on to represent Ireland at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where she proudly carried her country’s flag in the opening ceremony.

Now training with the International Small Nations team as she prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics, Desmond continues to carve her own path in a sport dominated by powerhouse nations. This week, she’s in Utah training alongside U.S. junior athletes — a team she first connected with ahead of the last Olympics. During that visit, her sled was lost in transit, and coaches adapted an old junior sled so she could still train. Since then, she’s been considered something of an honorary Parkite.

Desmond’s training comes at a time of uncertainty for the international luge circuit. The Austrian track slated to host upcoming World Cup events has faced major setbacks following recent modifications. In test runs, even the sport’s top two competitors crashed — forcing athletes, including Desmond, to wait for word on where they’ll head next.

Adding to the challenges of pursuing the sport from a small country, Ireland had no luge federation when Desmond started, so she co-founded the Irish Luge Federation. She trained two junior athletes through her Luge Ireland Youth Development Program. Both competed successfully but retired when they became old enough to become senior athletes, so Elsa Desmond is once again Ireland’s only luger. With no sponsors, self-funding a World Cup level career is an expensive endeavor, but Desmond’s love for the sport drives her forward.

Alongside training to be a world-class athlete, Desmond also studied to become a medical doctor. She did her school work when she wasn’t on the track and worked on her dissertation in the bathtub because it was the only quiet spot she could find while sharing a room with other athletes at a competition.

Now she is a doctor and has been working in Iceland since completing her residency. After the 2025/2026 season, Desmond will return to Iceland to start her next position as a doctor at a hospital there. As do most college graduates, she has student loans to pay off.

Utah Olympic Park hosts Nations Cup and World Cup Dec. 12 and 13

The athletes will have training opportunities on Dec. 10 and 11. The public can watch and admission to the event is free so bring the whole family and watch the top athletes from around the world compete at the Utah Olympic Park. Activities, food, and beverages will be available during the event days. Bundle up and come out to watch the best sliders in the world.

Friday, December 12, 2025
10 am Nations Cup
3.10 pm 1st run Men’s Singles
4.35 pm 1st run Women’s Singles
6 pm 1st run Men’s Doubles
6.49 pm 1st run Women’s Doubles
7.45 pm 2nd run Men’s Doubles
8.27 pm 2nd run Women’s Doubles
Saturday, December 13, 2025
4.15 pm 2nd run Men’s Singles
5.20 pm 2nd run Women’s Singles
7 pm Team Relay