Luge at Milano Cortina 2026

Feet First at 140 Km/h: Why Luge Athletes Are the Bravest People at the Olympics

Consider the physics for a moment. You’re lying on your back on a sled roughly the size of a cafeteria tray, feet pointed downhill, rocketing through an ice channel at speeds approaching 140 km/h (87 mph). Your face is inches from the ice. You steer by pressing your calves against the sled’s runners and shifting your shoulders — inputs measured in millimeters that produce dramatically different lines through each curve. There are no brakes until after the finish line. This is luge.

Luge at Milano Cortina 2026 runs on the brand-new Cortina Sliding Centre, the same track used for bobsled and skeleton. The facility represents the first purpose-built Olympic sliding track constructed in Italy since Cesana Pariol for Turin 2006 (which was demolished). Every nation starts from scratch in terms of track knowledge, which historically produces tighter competition and occasional upsets.

The Events

There are four luge events: men’s singles, women’s singles, doubles, and team relay. Singles events consist of four runs over two days, with cumulative time determining the medals. Doubles is two runs in one day. The team relay, introduced at Sochi 2014, features one women’s singles slider, one men’s singles slider, and one doubles team from each nation racing sequentially with a touch-pad start system — it’s fast, exciting, and a genuine test of national program depth.

German Dominance — and the Gaps That Exist

Germany owns luge. At the Beijing Olympics, German sliders won gold in men’s singles (Johannes Ludwig), women’s singles (Natalie Geisenberger), doubles (Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt), and the team relay. That’s a clean sweep. Germany’s advantages stem from decades of investment, a deep development pipeline, cutting-edge sled technology, and access to training tracks like Oberhof, Altenberg, and Königssee.

But the new track in Cortina creates opportunity. Austrian sliders, particularly in men’s singles, have been closing the gap. Wolfgang Kindl and David Gleirscher (the 2018 surprise gold medalist) are both capable of challenging if they nail the new course. Latvia’s doubles team of Andris and Juris Šics remain competitive in their mid-30s.

U.S. Luge at a Crossroads

The American luge program has historically punched above its weight relative to its resources. Chris Mazdzer won a historic silver in men’s singles at PyeongChang 2018 — the first U.S. men’s singles luge medal ever — but has since retired. The current squad is led by a younger generation of sliders working to bridge the gap with the established European programs.

Emily Sweeney provides veteran leadership on the women’s side, having competed at two previous Games. The U.S. doubles program has shown improvement, and a top-five finish would represent significant progress.

What Casual Fans Should Know

Luge comes down to the start and the lines. The start — where athletes rock back and forth on the sled before launching themselves forward with spiked gloves — determines about 50% of the final time. A clean start gives an athlete the speed they need to carry through the track’s technical sections.

Watch the split times at each intermediate point. In a sport where four runs might be separated by less than half a second, a single curve where an athlete rides too high on the wall can end their medal chances. The best lugers are invisible on the track — their runs look smooth and effortless precisely because they’re finding the optimal line.

Athletes to Watch

Johannes Ludwig (GER, Men’s Singles) — The defending Olympic men’s singles champion continues to lead the German juggernaut and has shown consistent form on the World Cup circuit heading into his third Games.

Natalie Geisenberger (GER, Women’s Singles) — The most decorated female luger in Olympic history (six medals, including three golds) may be competing in her final Games and remains the standard in women’s sliding.

Wolfgang Kindl (AUT, Men’s Singles) — Austria’s leading men’s slider has produced multiple World Cup wins and represents the best non-German threat in men’s singles.

Emily Sweeney (USA, Women’s Singles) — The most experienced American luger in the current squad, Sweeney brings three Games of experience and has steadily improved her World Cup standing.

Tobias Wendl & Tobias Arlt (GER, Doubles) — The greatest doubles luge team in history — three consecutive Olympic gold medals — return for what could be their farewell Games, seeking an unprecedented fourth straight title.

Venue Spotlight

The Cortina Sliding Centre is a newly constructed track that replaces the temporary sliding facilities used in recent Games, offering a permanent legacy for the region. Designed with modern safety standards including run-off areas and refined curve profiles, the track features approximately 16 curves over its roughly 1,400-meter length. As a virgin track with no competitive history, it levels the playing field among all nations.