Forgan/Kirkby fifth in women’s doubles World Cup with Britcher third at halfway point in women’s singles

SIGULDA, Latvia—The United States duo of Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby took fifth in today’s women’s doubles competition. In the men’s doubles event, the Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa led the U.S. effort, placing ninth. Both teams are moving closer to Olympic team nominations with one qualification race remaining in doubles. 

For the second time this season, the two-heat singles event is taking place in as many days.  Summer Britcher sits third in the women’s competition, while Jonny Gustafson holds 16th.

Women’s doubles

Forgan (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Kirkby (Lake Placid, N.Y.) dealt with problems in the first of the two heats. Their time of one minute, 25.640 seconds, was enough for fifth place. Maya Chan (Chicago, Ill.) and Sophia Gordon (Sussex, Wisc.) placed sixth in 1:25.672. 

The race was won by Austrians Selina Egle and Lara Kipp in 1:24.814. Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina of Germany were second in 1:24.845, while Italians Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer were third in 1:25.017. 

Egle and Kipp lead the overall World Cup with 370 points. Eitberger and Matschina are second with 340. Germany’s Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal are third with 230 points but did not compete today after failing to qualifyfor the race. 

The U.S. team did not compete in the first World Cup of the season as it was not an Olympic qualifying event. Following three World Cup races, Forgan and Kirkby are fourth with 180 points, and Chan and Gordon are ninth with 144.

Men’s doubles

Mueller (Brookfield, Wisc.) and Haugsjaa (Framingham, Mass.), winners of the last race in Lake Placid, were ninth in 1:24.316. 2022 Olympians Zack DiGregorio (Medway, Mass.) and Sean Hollander (Lake Placid, N.Y.) were just .002 behind their teammates in tenth with a time of 1:24.318. Both teams made minor mistakes at various points. Dana Kellogg (Chesterfield, Mass.) and Frank Ike (Lititz, Pa.) were 19th in 43.175 after a single challenging run. They did not take a second run, as only the top 18 sleds advance to the final heat. 

Eduards Sevics-Mikelsevics and Lukass Krasts of Latvia won their first World Cup race in 1:23.508. Germany’s Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt were second in 1:23.586, while Latvians Martins Bots and Roberts Plume were third in 1:23.593. 

In the overall World Cup standings, Wendl and Arlt are first with 266 points, while Bots and Plume are second with 265. Juri Gatt and Riccardo Schoepf of Austria are third with 244 points. Mueller and Haugsjaa are tied for eighth place with Italy’s Ivan Nagler and Fabian Malleier with 175 points. DiGregorio and Hollander are tenth with 160, and Kellogg and Ike are 18th with 90. 

Women’s singles

Britcher (Glen Rock, Pa.), a three-time Olympian, sits in third place with a time of 41.938 after one heat. Two-time World Championship medalist Emily Fischnaller (Lake Placid, N.Y.) holds fourth with a time of 41.960. Ashley Farquharson (Park City, Utah) is ninth in 42.107. Emma Erickson (Park City, Utah) did not qualify for today’s race. 

The race is led by Julia Taubitz of Germany with a time of 41.933, followed by Lisa Schulte of Austria in 41.934. A margin of .003 separates the top three sleds, with Fischnaller just .027 from the lead. 

Men’s singles

2022 Olympian Gustafson (Massena, N.Y.) sits in 16th place after a first heat time of 48.465. Teammate Hunter Harris is 26th with a time of 49.275, while three-time Olympian Tucker West is 27th in 49.409 after encountering issues in curves 10-13. Neither Harris nor West will advance to the second heat tomorrow, as only the top 20 sleds are allowed to do so. Matt Greiner (Park City, Utah) did not qualify to race. 

Felix Loch of Germany leads with a time of 47.738, while Austrians Nico Gleirscher and Jonas Mueller are second and third with 47.757 and 47.776, respectively. 

Olympic qualification and Team USA nomination process  

The World Cup in Sigulda is the fourth of five Olympic qualification races.   

Nations earn Olympic spots by earning points through results of the Cortina test event and four pre-Olympic World Cup races. To learn more about the quota system for nations, visit https://www.fil-luge.org/cdn/uploads/milano-cortina-2026-qualification-system-for-luge-v3.pdf

Team USA athletes earn a nomination to the 2026 Olympic Team based on results in the five FIL Olympic qualifying events. An A tier result (a top five finish in a full field, as defined by World Cup rules), or two B tier results (two results in the top 50% of a full field, as defined by World Cup rules) can earn an Olympic nomination. If an athlete does not earn an A tier or B tier, then points earned in the five races will be used. For the complete procedure, visit https://www.usaluge.org/selection-processes

Forgan and Kirkby have earned an A tier with their bronze medal finish in Lake Placid. Chan and Gordon now have two B tier results after finishing fifth in Lake Placid and sixth today in Sigulda. In all likelihood, the United States will send one women’s doubles team to Cortina for the Games next month as the field is limited to only 11 sleds. 

Mueller and Haugsjaa have earned two A-tiers following their gold medal performance in Lake Placid and their silver medal in Cortina. DiGregorio and Hollander have one A-tier from their silver medal in Park City. Currently, DiGregorio and Hollander are fighting for a second quota spot to represent the United States at the Olympics in Cortina. 

On or about January 12, 2026, USA Luge will formally announce its list of nominees to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, who will then announce those athletes as members of the 2026 Olympic squad.

All races can be seen live on the FIL YouTube page (), MAX and Discovery+. Weekly highlight shows are also available on the NBC Sports YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@NBCSports) channel.    

Races continue in Sigulda tomorrow with the team relay and the conclusion of the men’s and women’s singles events. Opening ceremonies for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy, are scheduled to be held February 6, 2025, with luge events beginning the next day.