Austria finishes 8-win luge weekend, Sweeney wins 2nd silver

IGLS, Austria (AP) — The opening weekend of the World Cup luge season was perfect for Austria.

It was pretty good for Emily Sweeney, too.

Austria claimed gold medals in all five races Sunday to cap a perfect 8-for-8 weekend for the host nation, which also swept wins in three races Saturday. USA Luge left the weekend with two medals, both silvers from Sweeney, who was second in the women’s sprint Sunday to match her showing in the women’s singles race on Saturday.

MEN’S SINGLES

Austria took the top four spots, with Nico Gleirscher (1 minute, 39.283 seconds) holding off teammates Wolfgang Kindl (1:39.327) and Jonas Müller (1:39.378) for the medals.

Jonny Gustafson was sixth to lead the U.S. Tucker West was 12th.

“Slid as good as I could,” Gustafson said.

MEN’S SPRINT

Gleirscher prevailed again in the one-heat sprint race, his time of 32.599 seconds just ahead of Kindl (32.611) and Dominik Fischnaller of Italy (32.633). Gustafson was eighth and West finished 14th.

WOMEN’S SPRINT

Madeleine Egle won her second race of the weekend, taking the sprint after winning the women’s singles race Saturday. Egle’s time was 29.908 seconds, a mere 0.019 seconds better than Sweeney. Julia Taubitz of Germany (29.937) was third.

“I’m just really excited to start the season off this way. … We have some good momentum,” Sweeney said.

Summer Britcher was eighth for the U.S. and Ashley Farquharson was 13th.

WOMEN’S DOUBLES SPRINT

Selina Egle and Lara Kipp won the first World Cup women’s doubles race Saturday, and they backed that up by winning the first World Cup women’s doubles sprint race on Sunday.

They finished in 30.219 seconds, edging Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer of Italy (30.301). Anda Upite and Sanija Ozolina of Latvia (30.332) were third.

Sweeney nearly got her third medal of the weekend, but she and Britcher took fourth to lead the U.S. lineup.

Maya Chan and Reannyn Weiler were sixth for the U.S., one spot ahead of teammates Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby.

MEN’S DOUBLES SPRINT

Yannick Müller and Armin Frauscher (29.822) edged Martins Bots and Roberts Plume of Latvia (29.837) to help complete Austria’s perfect weekend.

Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz (29.858) were third for Germany. Zack Digregorio and Sean Hollander were ninth for the U.S.

UP NEXT

The series heads to North America for racing this coming weekend at Whistler, British Columbia, followed by a Dec. 17-18 stop in Park City, Utah.

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