Emily Sweeney won a bronze medal at the world luge championships, making history as the second American with multiple singles medals. The event took place in Whistler, Canada, where Sweeney, a two-time Olympian at 31, led after her first run.
In her second run, she was overtaken by two German competitors, Julia Taubitz and Merle Fräbel. Taubitz, a seasoned champion with six medals in the last six world championships, won by a narrow margin—41 thousandths of a second—over Fräbel. Sweeney finished just behind, only two thousandths away from Fräbel.
“When you’re first after the first run, you hope to stay there, but I’m really happy to walk away with a medal,” Sweeney said after the race.
This is not her first medal; she also earned bronze in 2019, joining Erin Hamlin as the only American women to win multiple singles medals at the world championships. The only other American to reach a singles podium is Wendel Suckow, who won in 1993.
Sweeney’s journey has been filled with both challenges and determination. At 16, she missed making the 2010 Olympic team after a close race with her sister, Megan. She aimed for the 2014 Olympic team but fell short again. Sweeney finally made her Olympic debut in 2018, where she faced a serious crash that left her with neck and back injuries and struggles with depression afterward. She crashed again during the 2022 Olympics but remained resilient.
Despite setbacks, she returned to competition, missing the 2023 World Championships due to her injuries but bouncing back with strong finishes this season. “I’ve never been a fast starter, but I improved this year, which I’m really proud of,” she shared. “I feel like I’m putting the pieces together.”
Outside of competition, Sweeney is engaged to Dominik Fischnaller, a prominent Italian luger and 2022 Olympic bronze medalist. They’re excited about moving to Italy, which will host the 2026 Olympics.
In other competition news, German duo Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz claimed gold in the men’s doubles, while Austrians Selina Egle and Lara Kipp defended their title in women’s doubles. The women’s doubles event will make its Olympic debut next year.
The luge world championships will wrap up with men’s singles and the team relay on Saturday.