WHISTLER, B.C. — A young Canadian squad claimed bronze in team relay at the luge world championships in Whistler, B.C., on Saturday.
The six-person team of Embyr-Lee Susko, Devin Wardrope, Cole Anthony Zajanski, Theo Downey, Beattie Podulsky and Kailey Allan got down the track in a combined time of two minutes 51.641 seconds.
Germany finished 1.280 seconds faster to claim gold thanks to Julia Taubitz, Hannes Orlamuender, Paul Constantin Gubitz, Max Langenhan, Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal. Austria grabbed silver in the race.
Several of the nine competing nations struggled toward the end of the icy track, with Latvia's women's doubles team of Marta Robezniece and Kitija Bogdanova crashing and flipping their sled. They were helped off the track and did not finish the race.
The American men's doubles sled of Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa skidded out of the track's final turn, but were able to readjust and hit the paddle, keeping their team in the race. The U.S. finished fourth.
Earlier in the day, Langenhan won a second straight men's singles title with a two-run combined time of 1:39.922 seconds.
Repeating as world champion means a lot, the 25 year old said.
"I think last year, Altenberg is one of my favourite tracks. And then here in Whistler, normally it's every time so (expletive) close, and every small mistake costs you so much time," he said. "But in the end, I'm super happy with these two runs.”
Langenhan finished 0.135 seconds ahead of teammate Felix Loch, who posted a blistering time of 49.909 seconds on his second run.
“I was under a little bit of stress after Felix putting such a good time down. But in the end I’m super happy," Langenhan said.
"I think it’s like the best compliment for the whole team. They put in so much energy throughout the whole season. And if you're bringing them one and two, I think they are super stoked.”
Austria's Nico Gleirscher took bronze.
Langenhan also won gold in the new discipline of mixed singles on Thursday with Taubitz, who also finished first in the women's singles race on Friday.
Canada's three sleds did not make the cut for the second round of the men's singles race. Theo Downey finished the first run in 50.815 seconds for 22nd place, Dylan Morse was 26th and Bastian van Wouw was 28th in his first-ever race at the senior level.
Competing against luge veterans was "awesome said the 18-year-old van Wouw.
“I’m always watching the livestreams of their races," he said. "And now being able to be a part of it is just unreal.”
The world championships wrap on Saturday with the team relay event.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
