MILAN — The term “luge” has roots in the French word for sled. But luge, the Olympic winter sport, is very much German.
Since luge joined the calendar for the Winter Games in 1964, Germany — which has been represented by four teams over that time, East Germany, West Germany, the United Team and just plain old Germany — has failed to win at least four medals just once.
The country has won 87 luge medals overall, 38 of them gold.
And you can expect to hear Das Deutschlandlied played on an endless loop again in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where the luge competition gets underway Saturday.
The Star-Spangled Banner? Not so much. The U.S. has won just six luge medals — none of them gold — overall and just two combined in the last four Olympics. But there’s some history to go with that since Chris Mazdzer’s silver in 2018 is the only Olympic luge medal in men’s singles won by a non-European. The first non-European to win a women’s singles medal was American Erin Hamlin, who struck bronze in 2014.
The sliding center was one of two main Olympic venues that was in danger of not being completed in time for the Milan-Cortina Games, forcing construction workers to race to beat Friday’s deadline. Among the favorites to be the fastest man down the completed run is Germany’s Felix Loch, a three-time gold medalist in the event. Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt are favored to win their fourth consecutive Olympic doubles event. They will be going for a third straight gold in the team relay.
Neither Mazdzer nor Hamlin will be in Italy for the U.S. But the Americans could see Summer Britcher, a four-time Olympian, climb the podium in women’s singles, where she ranked second to Germany’s Julia Taubitz in the Olympic qualification window. Britcher, 31, has won a U.S.-record seven World Cup events.
Emily Fischnaller, a three-time Olympian, sustained a broken neck and back in a spill at the 2018 Games, but she could be a contender for a medal.
Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby could reach the podium in the women’s doubles, which is making its Olympic debut. Forgan and Kirkby have two world championship medals and finished the 2024-25 season ranked third in the world.
Forgan and Kirkby are expected to join Jonny Gustafson and the men’s doubles pair of Zack DiGregorio and Sean Hollander in the team relay, where the U.S. could also compete for a medal.
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