From Lake Placid, USA
(December 9, 2023) – Madeline Egle put down a pair of great runs on her way to gold in the first women’s luge race of the 2023/2024 World Cup season.
Egle took the lead early with Taubitz and a group of hungry Americans all behind her. Ashley Farquharson sat second, Taubitz third, with Emily Sweeney and Summer Britcher rounding out the top five after the first heat.
With the track slowing down due to the warming temperatures, Britcher went first of the contenders and set a decent downtime to take the lead. Sweeney went next and hit on the exit of Curve ten and fell out of the medals, eventually finishing eighth.
Germany’s Taubitz’s run was next and she set what was, to that point, the quick run of the heat to slide into the lead.
Farquharson had trouble early in her second run and fell behind Britcher and needed help from Egle to get onto the podium.
That help wouldn’t come. Egle set the quick start of the heat and had the fastest split at every timing eye along the track on her way to a .188 victory over Taubitz to start the season.
Taubitz took second, with Britcher moving up from fifth to third.
Farquharson finished fourth, with Austria’s Lisa Schulte in fifth.
“It was a bit surprising,” Egle said of her effort. “In training my times were good but you never know where you are. The ice was much slower but I was able to make it work for me.”
Taubitz wasn’t thrilled with the weather, but was happy with her finish.
“The weather is too warm today, almost a second faster than today,” said Taubitz. “I made a little mistake out of Curve 14 that cost me.”
Britcher felt great about her second run after a mistake in the first heat set her back. “My second run was so much better than the first heat,” she said. “I really put it all on the line and had fun with it!”
Canada’s Trinity Ellis finished in 12th, while teammate Carolyn Maxwell finished 24th to round out the Canadian effort.
Emma Erickson finished 20th in her first World Cup race for the United States.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Madeleine Egle | AUT | 25 | 6.419 | 6.434 | 44.050 | 44.660 | 1:28.710 |
| 2 | Julia Taubitz | GER | 27 | 6.482 | 6.472 | 44.207 | 44.691 | 1:28.898 |
| 3 | Summer Britcher | USA | 14 | 6.431 | 6.476 | 44.322 | 44.795 | 1:29.117 |
| 4 | Ashley Farquharson | USA | 16 | 6.493 | 6.510 | 44.199 | 44.948 | 1:29.147 |
| 5 | Lisa Schulte | AUT | 24 | 6.504 | 6.512 | 44.403 | 44.769 | 1:29.172 |
| 6 | Natalie Maag | SUI | 20 | 6.487 | 6.496 | 44.465 | 44.769 | 1:29.234 |
| 7 | Anna Berreiter | GER | 23 | 6.418 | 6.441 | 44.492 | 44.821 | 1:29.313 |
| 8 | Emily Sweeney | USA | 28 | 4.476 | 4.494 | 44.248 | 45.125 | 1:29.373 |
| 9 | Kendija Aparjode | LAT | 21 | 6.466 | 6.466 | 44.492 | 44.886 | 1:29.378 |
| 10 | Elina Vitola | LAT | 17 | 6.418 | 6.445 | 44.471 | 44.922 | 1:29.393 |
| 11 | Sigita Berzina | LAT | 18 | 6.440 | 6.453 | 44.587 | 44.902 | 1:29.489 |
| 12 | Trinity Ellis | CAN | 15 | 6.535 | 6.521 | 44.562 | 45.087 | 1:29.649 |
| 13 | Hannah Prock | AUT | 19 | 6.495 | 6.524 | 44.988 | 44.706 | 1:29.694 |
| 14 | Merle Fräbel | GER | 26 | 6.472 | 6.478 | 44.617 | 45.191 | 1:29.808 |
| 15 | Verena Hofer | ITA | 11 | 6.449 | 6.480 | 44.696 | 45.164 | 1:29.860 |
| 16 | Nina Zöggeler | ITA | 13 | 6.502 | 6.486 | 44.816 | 45.075 | 1:29.891 |
| 17 | Veronica Ravenna | ARG | 9 | 6.614 | 6.618 | 44.856 | 45.149 | 1:30.005 |
| 18 | Sandra Robatscher | ITA | 22 | 6.489 | 6.512 | 44.792 | 45.270 | 1:30.062 |
| 19 | Barbara Allmaier | AUT | 12 | 6.614 | 6.555 | 45.045 | 45.078 | 1:30.123 |
| 20 | Emma Erickson | USA | 7 | 6.508 | 6.532 | 44.866 | 45.330 | 1:30.196 |
| 21 | Branceska Bona | LAT | 5 | 6.505 | 6.537 | 44.908 | 45.384 | 1:30.292 |
| 22 | Olena Stetskiv | UKR | 8 | 6.522 | 6.523 | 45.247 | 45.523 | 1:30.770 |
| 23 | Klaudia Domaradzka | POL | 6 | 6.524 | 6.544 | 45.469 | 45.639 | 1:31.108 |
| 24 | Carolyn Maxwell | CAN | 10 | 6.490 | 6.507 | 44.779 | 46.404 | 1:31.183 |
| 25 | Anna Cezikova | CZE | 4 | 6.562 | 6.594 | 45.531 | 45.987 | 1:31.518 |
| 26 | Lucie Jansova | CZE | 1 | 6.542 | 6.542 | 46.043 | 46.266 | :32.309 |
| 27 | Ioana-Corina Buzatoiu | ROU | 3 | 6.574 | 6.614 | 46.089 | 46.777 | 1:32.866 |
| 28 | Elsa Desmond | IRL | 2 | 6.546 | 6.635 | 67.837 | 47.161 | 1:54.998 |
