Germans take three wins; Sweeney, Arndt medal for USA Luge

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Germany won three of five World Cup races held Saturday at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics sliding track, while Emily Sweeney and Brittney Arndt won medals for the U.S.

Germany got gold in the women’s race, with Dajana Eitberger holding off Sweeney for the victory, as well as in the men’s doubles sprint and the women’s sprint. Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt won the men’s doubles sprint, and Julia Taubitz won the women’s sprint.

Eitberger’s winning time in the women’s regular two-heat race — sprints are just one heat — was 1 minute, 26.471 seconds. Sweeney finished in 1:26.611 to continue the strong start of her season; Taubitz was third in 1:26.619.

The U.S. had four women in the top 12 of the women’s two-heat race, with Arndt seventh on her home track, Ashley Farquharson ninth and Summer Britcher 12th.

In the women’s sprint, Arndt had a career-best World Cup finish, her third-place time of 31.902 seconds behind only Taubitz (31.717) and Eitberger (31.816). Farquharson was fourth, Britcher seventh and Sweeney 10th for the U.S.

In the men’s sprint, Dominik Fischnaller of Italy won a World Cup luge gold for the second consecutive day after prevailing in the two-heat race on Friday. Austria’s David Gleirscher was second in the men’s sprint, while Germany’s Felix Loch was third. The U.S. was led by a fourth-place men’s sprint showing from Jonny Gustafson. Tucker West was seventh and Chris Mazdzer was eighth.

Wendl and Arlt beat fellow Germans Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken by just one-hundredth of a second — 31.862 to 31.872 seconds — for the win in the men’s doubles sprint. Yannick Müller and Armin Frauscher were third for Austria; for the U.S., Zack DiGregorio and Sean Hollander were seventh, one spot ahead of Dana Kellogg and Duncan Segger.

And in the women’s doubles sprint, Selina Egle and Lara Kipp of Austria got the win, with Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer of Italy second and Jessica Reinhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal of Germany placing third.

Britcher and Sweeney were fourth for the U.S., one spot ahead of Maya Chan and Reannyn Weiler and three spots ahead of fellow Americans Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby.