Summer Britcher Claims Second Luge Victory of the Season
“Very, very happy,” Britcher said after her victory.
Summer Britcher of USA Luge secured her second women’s singles luge victory of the season on Sunday, solidifying her position as a top contender for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics. Competing in Sigulda, Latvia, Britcher achieved a combined time of 1 minute, 23.840 seconds, finishing ahead of Lisa Schulte from Austria and Julia Taubitz from Germany, who clocked in at 1:23.877 and 1:23.931, respectively.
Britcher’s win marks her seventh career singles victory, extending her record for USA Luge sliders. The athlete expressed her joy after the race, noting the challenges she faced in Sigulda over the years. “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs here in Sigulda, but a long time ago it was like my favorite track,” she said. “It was a lot of fun to feel that joy again on the track here.”
With this latest win, Britcher ascends to the top of the World Cup standings, becoming the first American in history to potentially win an overall singles title. USA Luge has previously celebrated four World Cup champions, all in men’s doubles, with the last title coming in the 2002-03 season. Remarkably, Britcher leads the points standings despite missing the season-opening World Cup in Winterberg, Germany, due to its exclusion from the Olympic qualifying formula.
Entering the second heat in third place, Britcher demonstrated remarkable skill and focus. The format for the singles races at Sigulda included two runs over two days, mirroring the two-day, four-run event at the Olympics. Schulte and Taubitz posed the only threats to Britcher’s lead but fell short in their efforts. “I really did not think it was going to happen,” Britcher remarked, reflecting on her surprise at her success.
In addition to her singles victory, Britcher also contributed to USA Luge’s bronze medal in the team relay. The American team included Jonny Gustafson in men’s singles, Zach DiGregorio and Sean Hollander in men’s doubles, and Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby in women’s doubles. The team relay saw Schulte and Austria take gold, while the host nation of Latvia finished second.
In the men’s singles event, Felix Loch, a two-time Olympic champion from Germany, achieved his 55th career win, closing in on the all-time record of 57 wins held by retired Italian athlete Armin Zöggeler. Jonas Müller from Austria finished second, followed by Germany’s Max Langenhan in third.
As the Olympic season progresses, USA Luge plans to announce its Olympic team around January 12, while the U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams are expected to be unveiled on January 19.
In a separate event in Winterberg, Germany, the host nation swept the women’s bobsled race. Laura Nolte clinched victory with a two-run time of 1:53.63, just ahead of teammates Lisa Buckwitz and Kim Kalicki. In a close competition, Kaillie Humphries Armbruster of the U.S. narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth, while Elana Meyers Taylor and Kaysha Love followed in eighth and tenth places, respectively.
Looking ahead, the bobsled World Cup will feature the women’s monobob and two-man races next Saturday in St. Moritz, Switzerland, while the skeleton World Cup will resume with the men’s race on Wednesday. The luge circuit continues with men’s and women’s singles events scheduled for Saturday in Winterberg.
