Around 120 athletes from 24 countries are at the Utah Olympic Park this week for the Eberspacher Luge World Cup.
Gordy Sheer from USA Luge said it’s an Olympic qualifying event, so there are more athletes competing than usual to earn one of 106 spots in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games in Italy.
Luge is a sliding sport that runs on the same track as bobsled, although the sleds are very different. In luge, racers start in a seated position and push off the starting line using their arms. Luge runs can reach speeds of over 90 miles per hour.
“You go down feet first, and you're steering with your shoulders and your feet,” Sheer said. “We are the fastest sport on ice.”
Luge events include men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, as well as relay competitions. In doubles races, the larger athlete lies on top of the smaller one for aerodynamic reasons.
Women’s doubles is making its Olympic debut this February and Sheer said this has complicated Olympic qualifier events.
“We were awarded women's doubles, but the field size stayed the same. So it makes qualifying for all disciplines harder,” Sheer said.
Races at the Utah Olympic Park began at 3 p.m. Friday, and finals and the relay competition are Saturday. All races are free to the public.
Sheer said the relay is a must-see event. During the relay, each team sends down a single woman, single man then a women’s doubles and men's doubles team. The single woman goes down the track first. At the bottom, she strikes a pad that opens the gate for the next rider. It continues until all athletes reach the end of the course.
Sheer said it’s interesting to see each team’s strengths and weaknesses.
“You may see that they're in the lead, and then they lose it, and then another slide comes back and gains it,” he said. “Then you also have athletes who have very quick reaction times.”
Sheer said the German team is traditionally the powerhouse, but this year the Austrian team is very strong. However, with Americans on home ice, they may have an advantage.
For those looking to track local athletes, Parkite Ashley Farquharson, Emma Erickson and Matt Greiner are the ones to watch.
