Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games conclude with team relay
by USA Luge
ALPENSIA, South Korea – Luge events for the 2024 Youth Olympic Games ended with the team relay event. Team USA was represented by Talia Tonn, Orson Colby and the doubles team of Nathan Bivins/Wolfgang Lux.
The Youth Olympic Games team relay consisted of one woman, one man and one men’s doubles team from each nation. The woman goes first and once reaching the finish, hits a touchpad hanging over the track, which opens the gate for the men's singles competitor. After finishing his run, the male athlete hits the touch pad and opens the gate for the doubles team. The clock stops when the doubles team hits the touch pad.
The United States team placed ninth, navigating the 2018 Olympic course in a total time of two minutes, 36.140 seconds. Tonn (Cecil, Wisc.) clocked a 50.686 run, followed by Colby (Riverton, Utah) in 52.079. Bivins (Castleton, N.Y.) and Lux (Swanton, Vt.) posted a run time of 53.375.
Alexandra Oberstolz, Leon Haselrieder, Philip Brunner and Manuel Weissensteiner won the gold for Italy in 2:29.470. Latvians Margita Sirsnina, Edvards Markitans, and the duo of Janis Gruzdulis/Edens Cepulis were the silver medalists in 2:30.299. The bronze medal went to Austria’s Marie Riedl, Paul Socher, and Johannes Scharnagl/Moritz Schiegl in 2:30.421.
Italy walked away with six medals during the Games, Austria with five, Germany with two and Latvia with two.
Results for the 2024 Youth Olympic Games can be seen here: https://www.fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/youth-olympic-winter-games-1
All attention now shifts to Altenberg, Germany for the FIL Luge World Championships taking place January 26-28. All races can be seen via the FIL’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FILLuge_Channel