From Whistler, CAN
(February 7, 2025) – The racing across the bulk of the 53rd FIL World Championships had been tight and after one run in the women’s luge championship it was as tight as ever.
USA’s Emily Sweeney led Germany’s Julia Taubitz by just .007 after the first heat, with Merle Fräbel only .025 back in third. Behind them, Canada’s Embyr-Lee Susko put down a big run to sit fourth with Ashley Farquharson in fifth.
In the second heat, Swiss slider Natalie Maag put down a quick second run tot ake the lead from Latvia’s Kendija Aparjode, then held her spot in the leader’s box as neither Madeleine Egle nor Farquharson were able to match her pace.
Up next was Susko. The young Canadian had shown speed in the past and in the first heat on her home track she showed more speed than most. The pressure didn’t get to her, as Susko put down a second quick run, enough to take the lead from Maag and guarantee her a fourth place finish.
Fräbel was next. The German was very quick on the track where she’d won her first career medal, and she once again medaled, this time in the World Championships as she took the lead from an emotional Susko.
Taubitz was the penultimate slider off the top. Her start was clean, her run was clean, and she finished .041 ahead of Fräbel, with both German women having been nearly perfect in their slide.
Finally it was Sweeney’s shot at a world championship. It had been 16 years since Erin Hamlin’s historic victory. Sweeney looked to claim her own gold and started ahead of Taubitz by .015. The American fell behind early, but came back late in the run. Had the track been 100 meters longer, Sweeney could have won gold, but she crossed the line in third place, .002 behind Fräbel and .043 behind Taubitz for bronze.
After her victory, an excited Taubitz spoke with FIL’s Kate Hansen.
“I feel really excited,” Taubitz said. “But I’m so sorry for Emily! It’s so tight here, Emily had such a great run. It’s so tight and you have to be perfect!”
Fräbel was emotional after her run.
“I have no words! It’s so…I can only say wow! I’m really happy that I got my first podium here in my luge career, and now I’m the silver medalist!”
For Sweeney, a bronze medal was a strong showing on a track she enjoys.
“When you’re first after the first run you want to see that 1 after the finish line,” Sweeney said. “Whistler has a lot of great memories for me here!”[
Susko was fourth, the best finish for Canada in a World Championships in recent memory, with Maag fifth.
Farquharson continued a strong season with a sixth place finish. Teammate Summer Britcher slid into the top ten from 12th place, eventually finishing tenth. Emma Erickson barely missed out on the second heat and finished 22nd.
Trinity Ellis leapfrogged teammate Caitlin Nash and moved up another couple of spots in the second heat to finish 13th, with Nash 16th. Carolyn Maxwell was 25th to round out the Canadian effort.
Argentina’s Veronica Ravenna scored a season-best finish in the World Championships with a 20th place finish
With two events to go in the 53rd FIL World Championships, the medal count stands as follows:
1. Germany (3G, 3S, 3B)
2. Austria (2G, 1B)
3. USA (1S, 1B)
4. Latvia (1S)
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Julia Taubitz | GER | 17 | 3.421 | 3.425 | 38.601 | 38.605 | 1:17.206 |
| 2 | Merle Fräbel | GER | 18 | 3.377 | 3.411 | 38.619 | 38.628 | 1:17.247 |
| 3 | Emily Sweeney | USA | 15 | 3.391 | 3.417 | 38.594 | 38.655 | 1:17.249 |
| 4 | Embyr-Lee Susko | CAN | 9 | 3.428 | 3.431 | 38.653 | 38.634 | 1:17.287 |
| 5 | Natalie Maag | SUI | 14 | 3.443 | 3.441 | 38.713 | 38.636 | 1:17.349 |
| 6 | Ashley Farquharson | USA | 16 | 3.446 | 3.450 | 38.683 | 38.670 | 1:17.353 |
| 7 | Madeleine Egle | AUT | 20 | 3.388 | 3.391 | 38.688 | 38.712 | 1:17.400 |
| 8 | Kendija Aparjode | LAT | 13 | 3.422 | 3.427 | 38.716 | 38.733 | 1:17.449 |
| 9 | Elina Bota | LAT | 19 | 3.383 | 3.390 | 38.741 | 38.724 | 1:17.465 |
| 10 | Summer Britcher | USA | 11 | 3.401 | 3.401 | 38.790 | 38.676 | 1:17.466 |
| 11 | Anna Berreiter | GER | 21 | 3.414 | 3.424 | 38.774 | 38.790 | 1:17.564 |
| 12 | Lisa Schulte | AUT | 22 | 3.425 | 3.426 | 38.768 | 38.817 | 1:17.585 |
| 13 | Trinity Ellis | CAN | 7 | 3.409 | 3.415 | 38.884 | 38.769 | 1:17.653 |
| 14 | Hannah Prock | AUT | 10 | 3.439 | 3.451 | 38.819 | 38.837 | 1:17.656 |
| 15 | Sandra Robatscher | ITA | 6 | 3.416 | 3.449 | 38.834 | 38.855 | 1:17.689 |
| 16 | Caitlin Nash | CAN | 5 | 3.396 | 3.410 | 38.865 | 38.890 | 1:17.755 |
| 17 | Verena Hofer | ITA | 4 | 3.407 | 3.409 | 38.896 | 38.894 | 1:17.790 |
| 18 | Barbara Allmaier | AUT | 12 | 3.427 | 3.429 | 38.942 | 38.894 | 1:17.836 |
| 19 | Melina Fischer | GER | 8 | 3.403 | 3.381 | 38.970 | 38.876 | 1:17.846 |
| 20 | Veronica Ravenna | ARG | 3 | 3.469 | 3.473 | 39.037 | 39.044 | 1:18.081 |
| 21 | Nina Zöggeler | ITA | 25 | 3.446 | 39.043 | |||
| 22 | Emma Erickson | USA | 24 | 3.458 | 39.198 | |||
| 23 | Tove Kohala | SWE | 27 | 3.455 | 39.203 | |||
| 24 | Yulianna Tunytska | UKR | 23 | 3.403 | 39.236 | |||
| 25 | Carolyn Maxwell | CAN | 1 | 3.424 | 39.238 | |||
| 26 | Ioana-Corina Buzatoiu | ROU | 2 | 3.419 | 39.261 | |||
| 27 | Hyesun Jung | KOR | 29 | 3.459 | 39.413 | |||
| 28 | Yubin Shin | KOR | 30 | 3.509 | 39.451 | |||
| 29 | Olena Smaha | UKR | 28 | 3.448 | 39.529 | |||
| 30 | Elsa Desmond | IRL | 31 | 3.496 | 39.969 | |||
| 31 | Klaudia Domaradzka | POL | 26 | 3.438 | 40.100 |