Forgan/Kirkby set start record; new format tested for singles race

SIGULDA, Latvia – Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby concluded their World Cup season with a fifth-place finish, matching their final World Cup ranking. In men’s doubles, the United States team of Dana Kellogg and Frank Ike placed sixth in the race. The duo tied their best result of the season and ranked tenth in their first year together.

The International Luge Federation (FIL) decided to tinker with their traditional race format in the singles competition, with men and women taking their first of two runs today. The second heat will take place tomorrow. Emily Sweeney is the top-ranked women in sixth place, while Tucker West leads the men’s efforts in 13^th place.

Women’s doubles

2024 World Championship bronze medalists Forgan (Chelmsford, Mass.)/Kirkby (Ray Brook, N.Y) were sitting in third place after the first run but dropped back after small mistakes in their second heat. They placed fifth in one minute 25.120 seconds.

In the 12 race World Cup series, Forgan (Chelmsford, Mass.)/Kirkby (Ray Brook, N.Y.) were fifth in five events. The pair are arguably the best starters in the world. They established new start records at three tracks this season.

Germans Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal won the race in 1:24.648, with teammates Dajana Eitberger/Saskia Schirmer taking silver in 1:24.902. The Austrian pair of Selina Egle/ Lara Kipp were third in 1:24.931.

Italians Andrea Voetter/Marion Oberhofer took the World Cup crown for the second consecutive season, earning 955 points. Degenhardt/Rosenthal were second with 895 points, while Eitberger/Schirmer were third with 886.

Forgan/Kirkby were fifth with 706 points. Maya Chan (Chicago, Ill.)/Reannyn Weiler (Whitesboro, N.Y.) missed the final two races after Chan injured her forearm. They finished the season in seventh place with 426 points.

Men’s doubles

Kellogg (Chesterfield, Mass.)/Ike (Lititz, Pa.) have shown considerable sliding skills all season long and today was no exception. After being as far back as 14^th place in split times, Kellogg/Ike were virtually mistake-free both runs at one of the most challenging tracks on the circuit. They finished with a two-run combined time of 1:23.692.

2022 Olympians Zack DiGregorio (Medway, Mass.)/Sean Hollander (Lake Placid, N.Y.) have battled consistency issues at the Sigulda course. After a rough first run and fifth-ranked second heat, they finished ninth in 1:23.893.

The home team of Martins Bots/ Roberts Plume won the race in 1:22.915. Six-time Olympic gold medalists Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt of Germany were second in 1:23.010, with Austrians Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl third in 1:23.301.

Steu/Kindl secured the overall World Cup title in their first season together with 966 points. They were ahead of Wendl/Arlt with 885 and Bots/Plume with 876. DiGregiorio/Hollander placed seventh with 525 points, while Kellogg/Ike were tenth with 406, despite missing one event.

Men and women singles

Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-forties are not usually ideal conditions for track records. Other than the start record by Forgan/Kirkby, doubles did not see any best-ever times set. However, the singles competitions for men and women both saw track records fall. Add the FIL’s decision to spice things up by splitting up the two runs over two days, and an interesting race is taking shape.

Multiple World Cup medal winner Emily Sweeney (Lake Placid, N.Y.) sits in sixth with a time of 41.791, while Ashley Farquharson is eighth in 41.815. Summer Britcher (Glen Rock, Pa) is tenth in 41.848.

Germany’s Julia Taubitz set a track record of 41.487, beating the one set by Kendija Aparjode by just .001. Elina Vitola of Latvia sits in second with a time of 41.685, followed by teammate Segita Berzina with 41.721.

In men’s singles, three-time Olympian Tucker West posted his usual fastest start time of the heat, but small skids in the top and problems in the lower section cost him time. H sits in 13^th with a time of 48.126. 2022 Olympian Jonny Gustafson is in 16^th place with a time of 48.530.

Racing resumes tomorrow with the final two heats of singles races and the team relay. For more results from today’s races, visit  https://www.fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/eberspaecher-world-cup-34 . To live stream the races and to view archived competitions, please visit the FIL’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FILLuge_Channel. The entire World Cup and World Championship season can be accessed from this portal. 

Forgan/Kirkby fifth, Kellogg/Ike sixth in World Cup finale

Loading...