Britcher and Gustafson top U.S. finishers in Oberhof World Cup

OBERHOF, Germany—For the second time in as many weeks, the FIL Luge World Cup tour raced in the German state of Thuringia. Summer Britcher and Jonny Gustafson were the top finishers in today’s women’s and men’s singles races. The competitions, taking place today and tomorrow, are the last races before the Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Women’s singles

When the weather is warm in Oberhof it’s traditionally proven to be a challenge for the U.S. team and that was the reality today. 

Britcher (Glen Rock, Pa.) was ninth in one minute, 23.705 seconds. This was an improvement upon last week’s 13th place finish. The three-time Olympian posted the third and fourth fastest start times in the two-heat competition. 

Ashley Farquharson (Park City, Utah), who has won two medals over the course of the 2025-26 season was 15th in 1:24.054. Emily Fischnaller (Lake Placid, N.Y.) did not compete in either of the two Oberhof races as she is preparing for Milano Cortina 2026. 

Merle Fraebel of Germany won the race in 1:23.330, with Lisa Schulte of Austria second in 1:23.435. Julia Taubitz of Germany was third in 1.23.467.

Britcher sits in fifth place in the overall World Cup standings with 394 points, while Farquharson is tenth with 285. Fischnaller is 21st with 123 points. Emma Erickson is 35th with 62 points and will not compete for the remainder of the season.

Men’s singles

For the second week in a row, Gustafson (Massena, N.Y.) and teammate Matt Greiner (Park City, Utah) finished in consecutive order. Last week, they were 19th and 20th, respectively. This week, Gustafson, a 2022 Olympian, was 15th in 1:25.911. Greiner, who will make his Olympic debut next month, was 16th in 1:25.940. 

Felix Loch of Germany placed first with a time of 1:24.673. Jonas Mueller of Austria was second in 1:24.762, with Max Langenhan of Germany third in 1:24.994. 

Gustafson is 11th in overall World Cup standings with 208, while Griener is 24th with 120. Tucker West (Lake Placid, N.Y) and Hunter Harris (East Fairfield, Vt.) will not compete for the remainder of the season. West is 31st with 76 points and Harris is 34th with 60.

World Cup racing continues tomorrow in Oberhof with the men’s and women’s doubles and mixed competition. All World Cup races can be seen live on the FIL YouTube page, Max and Discovery+. Weekly highlight shows are also available on the NBC Sports YouTube channel.

Opening Ceremonies for the 2026 Winter Games will be held on Friday, February 6. Luge at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kicks off with the men’s singles competition on Saturday, February 7. All races will air on NBC and USA Network, and stream live on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms.