WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) — In an exhilarating finish, Germany’s Julia Taubitz secured her second women’s singles luge world championship title, edging out the U.S. athlete Emily Sweeney in a nail-biting second run on Friday night.
Taubitz completed her two runs with a time of 1 minute, 17.206 seconds, marking her sixth consecutive medal in the singles event at the world championships, which includes two golds and four silvers.
“I’m really excited, but I feel for Emily,” Taubitz expressed. “It’s so competitive, and she had an outstanding run. It’s anyone’s game up there.”
Merle Fraebel of Germany claimed the second spot with a time of 1:17.247, while Sweeney, who led after the first run, took third with a time of 1:17.249. This achievement marked the third world championships medal for Sweeney, adding to her previous bronze in singles (2019) and silver in mixed doubles with U.S. teammate Johnny Gustafson just a day prior.
“I’m thrilled to come away with a medal,” Sweeney said, reflecting on her accomplishments.
Ashley Farquharson finished sixth for the U.S., with Summer Britcher following in tenth place. Sweeney’s achievement also marked the 23rd medal in USA Luge’s history at the world championships, including four in women’s singles. Erin Hamlin’s gold in Lake Placid in 2009, along with her silver at Igls in 2017, and Sweeney’s bronze in Winterberg in 2019 highlight this successful track record.
Men’s Doubles
In men’s doubles, the surprise was not which German sled triumphed, but rather the identity of the winning duo. Hannes Orlamuender and Paul Gubitz claimed the title, achieving the fastest times in both heats. Latvia’s pair of Martins Bots and Roberts Plume secured second place, while Germany’s celebrated duo Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt, leading the World Cup this season, finished in third.
Despite their impressive performance, Orlamuender and Gubitz currently rank sixth in the World Cup standings. Wendl and Arlt have now medaled for ten consecutive world championships. The top U.S. team, consisting of Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa, ended up in seventh place.
Women’s Doubles
Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Kipp successfully defended their world title, with Germany’s Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal taking the silver medal, and fellow German athletes Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina earning bronze.
Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby, who won a bronze medal last year, finished fifth for the U.S.
Upcoming Events
This Saturday will feature the men’s singles race and the highly anticipated team relay, concluding an action-packed world championship competition.
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