LILLEHAMMER, Norway — Emily Sweeney, along with the doubles pair Chevonne Forgan and Sophie Kirkby, led an impressive performance for USA Luge during the World Cup weekend, marking the team’s best results on an international track in almost nine years.
On Sunday, Sweeney and her partner Jonny Gustafson secured a second-place finish in the debut mixed singles event, while Forgan and Kirkby claimed third in the first mixed doubles race of the series. Their achievements, combined with Saturday’s results — where Forgan and Kirkby won gold in women’s doubles and Sweeney earned silver in women’s singles — allowed the American team to end their Lillehammer outing with a total of four medals. This marked the first time they had achieved such a feat on a foreign track since December 18-19, 2015, in Calgary.
“I feel fantastic,” Sweeney stated. “The experience was incredibly enjoyable. I’m really loving this new race format.”
In the mixed singles competition, the German champions Max Langenhan and Julia Taubitz, both of whom clinched victories in singles races earlier in the weekend, took home the top prize. Following them in second place were Sweeney and Gustafson, with Germany’s Felix Loch and Marie Fraebel finishing third. Sweeney notably regained significant time during her relay segment, helping the U.S. team secure the silver medal.
“Emily really took the lead for this race, and I was fortunate to follow her,” Gustafson remarked. “Her effort brought us to second place, and it was incredible.”
In the mixed doubles event, the Forgan-Kirkby pair, who had already enjoyed success in the women’s race a day prior, partnered with Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa to achieve a bronze medal finish on Sunday. “We are absolutely thrilled,” Forgan exclaimed. “This race was such a blast. It’s wonderful to compete alongside our new teammates.”
The top spot in the mixed doubles went to Germany’s Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt, while the Latvian team of Martins Bots and Roberts Plume along with Marta Robezniece and Kitija Bogdanova earned silver.
