2024 Sigulda World Cup #2, Day 2#
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Farquharson fourth in women’s singles race
SIGULDA, Latvia – The United States relay team took the bronze medal in the last World Cup event of the 2023-24 season in dramatic fashion. Team USA consisted of Ashley Farquharson, Zack DiGregorio/Sean Hollander, Tucker West and Chevonne Forgan/Sophia Kirkby.
In the women’s race, Farquharson placed fourth, while Tucker West was the top U.S. men’s sled in tenth.
With sunny skies and slightly colder temperatures than yesterday, new track records were established in all three disciplines.
Team Relay
The team relay has traditionally provided excitement and the final event of the season lived up to the hype. This year, the introduction of women’s doubles has added to the excitement. The relay occurs without interruption, featuring four sleds and six athletes. It starts with women’s singles, then men’s doubles, men’s singles, and finally the women’s doubles. Sleds cannot leave the start handles until the previous sled hits a pad at the bottom of the track and opens a gate. In addition to driving skills, athletes' reaction time to the gate opening is an important element to a successful race.
Teams from Germany, Italy, Austria, Latvia, and the United States have all stood on the podium at various points in the season. The first of the medal contenders to hit the ice were the Italians. Their podium hopes disintegrated after the men’s doubles team of Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner had major problems out of curve 14. The Latvian team was next up and were almost flawless, establishing a new relay track record.
The United States were the next team up. 2022 Olympian Ashley Farquharson (Park City, Utah) went first and drove a near-perfect run. Zack DiGregorio (Medway, Mass) and Sean Hollander were next, with a fast reaction time. The duo brushed the right wall out of curve 15 but minimized the time loss. Tucker West (Ridgefield, Conn.) had the fastest reaction time of the day and drove a clean run down the track. Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby also set the fastest reaction time of the women’s doubles teams. Like DiGregorio/Hollander, they also contacted the right wall out of curve 15, but with greater consequence. These minor mistakes gave the Austrian team an opportunity to waltz onto the podium. But this is the relay on one of the toughest tracks in the world.
World Champion Lisa Schulte was the first Austrian off the start handles. Too much height in curve 15 resulted in her sled flipping off the exit of the corner. The team finished in seventh place.
Ultimately, the German team edged out the Latvian team by .141 seconds, establishing a new track record along the way. Their finish time was 2:57.516. The Latvians crossed the finish line and took the silver medal in 2:57.657. The United States took the bronze in 2:58.522.
In the overall team relay World Cup, Germany was first with 540 points, Austria was second with 446 points and the United States was third with 410 points. The U.S team reached the podium in four of the six relay events this season.
Women’s singles
In a change of format, the International Luge Federation (FIL) split the two run men’s and women’s race runs over two days. Farquharson was sitting in eighth place after yesterday’s first heat. A stronger second run saw her move up four spots to fourth place. She finished with a time of 1:23.325.
2019 World Championship bronze medalist Emily Sweeney (Lake Placid, N.Y.) dropped from sixth to tenth place with a time of 1:23.612, while five-time World Cup winner Summer Britcher (Glen Rock, Pa.) was 11th in 1:123.678.
Latvia’s Elina Vitola won for the second time in her career with a time of 1:23.176. Her first victory came during a snow-impacted race in St. Moritz three years ago. Germany’s Anna Berreiter was second in 1:23.250. Her teammate Merle Fraebel moved up from ninth place after the first heat to the bronze medal position with a time of 1:23.291. She established a new track record of 41.472 in the second heat.
Consistency rewarded Farquharson with a sixth-place ranking in overall World Cup standings. She earned 612 points in her best season to date. Sweeney was eighth with 583 points, while Britcher was 13th with 413 points. Emma Erickson (Park City, Utah) was 35th with 57 points and Sophia Gordon (Sussex, Wisc.) was 43rdwith 16 points. Erickson and Gordon are members of the Junior National Team and took part in a handful of competitions.
Germany’s Julia Taubitz, who had the lead going into today’s race, finished ninth today after a series of mistakes during the second heat. It was the first time she finished off the podium in any of the 12 races this season. Luckily, she had enough points to clinch the overall title last weekend and finished with 1034 points. Berrieter was second with 791 points and Austria’s Madeleine Egle was third with 742.
Men’s singles
West, a three-time Olympian and World Cup medalist, showed signs of speed all weekend. He also showed moments of discomfort on the sled, particularly in the upper portion of the track. He finished tenth in 1:36.033. Yesterday’s start time of 4.555 was the fastest of the competition and only .007 off the start record set by Germany’s Johannes Ludwig 10 years ago.
2022 Olympian Jonny Gustafson (Massena, N.Y.) also never found comfort in Sigulda, placing 16th in 1:36.704.
Latvia’s Kristers Aparjods stormed up from fourth to first place by setting a track record of 47.493 in his second run. Germany’ Felix Loch was second 1:35.315, followed by Austria’s Nico Gleirscher with a bronze medal winning time of 1:35.455.
Loch’s father Norbert worked his last race as head coach of the German National Team, a position he held for 16 years. He is among the most successful coaches in German history with 22 Olympic medals and 97 World Championship medals. Loch has decided to retire, with Patric Leitner assuming the role of head coach.
Germany’s Max Langenhan, not competing due to injury, had enough points to take the overall World Cup title with 970 points. Aparjods was second with 841 points and Loch was third with 765.
West finished the season with 447 points. Gustafson wrapped up the most successful campaign of his career in tenth place and 387 points. Hunter Harris (East Fairfield, Vt.) placed 23rd in his debut season, with 148 points after missing several races due to injury. 2018 Olympic silver medalist Chris Mazdzer (South Jordan, Utah), who retired after the second race of the season, was 32nd with 62 points. Winner of yesterday’s Norton Junior National Championship, Matt Greiner (Park City, Utah), took part in two races this year and placed 39thwith 37 points. Fellow Junior National Team athlete Aidan Mueller (West Islip, N.Y.) was 47th with 12 points after competing in one event.
USA Luge relay athlete quotes
Sophia Kirkby: We just finished our final World Cup weekend and we just got bronze (in team relay). It’s just so exciting and we got bronze overall, so such a great season.
Tucker West: It came down to the wire. We needed a fifth place to secure the third in the overall. It's been a great season. It's been a lot of fun to add the women's doubles to the relay this year. A lot more teammates to race with and I think we're on an upward trajectory for the next coming years.
Sean Hollander: Sigulda’s really tough track and I think that really showed today in the relay. We were happy to get four sleds down the hill.
Zack DiGregorio: It's just a great way to cap off the year. We've been fighting for medals in relay all year so to end with one is always awesome.
Ashely Farquharson: (This is a) really nice way to finish off the season. It's always thrilling to be up on the podium. And after the most fourth places ever, (I’m) really excited to earn a medal.
For final standings and results, visit https://www.fil-luge.org/en/home
Two events remain on the competitive calendar for USA Luge. On April 6, the Norton Youth National Championships will take place, followed by the Master’s National Championships. Both races will be held at Lake Placid’s Olympic Sports Complex.
