Ashley Farquharson: Using Sports Psychology To Boost Competitiveness For Milano-Cortina

Berchtesgaden (FIL/November 20, 2025) Mastering a luge track requires more than just perfect control of the sled. It requires courage, composure, and precision at speeds of over 100 km/h on icy tracks. In February, thousands of spectators in the stands and millions watching on television will watch the world's best luge athletes hurtle down the ice track at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina 2026. Among them is Ashley Farquharson from Team USA, who is adding a new advantage to her Olympic preparation: sports psychology.

In recent weeks, Team USA has been training in Cortina d'Ampezzo on the brand-new Olympic track alongside the world's best lugers from other teams. The team has been on the road for more than a month and a half, completing training camps in Lillehammer, Sigulda, Cortina, and Oberhof before returning to Cortina and finally to Innsbruck-Igls, where the 2025/26 EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup season will begin. They will remain in Europe until December 8 before returning to World Cup races two and three in Park City and Lake Placid.

It was a presentation in the summer that proved particularly interesting for the America-Pacific champion. “This was recommended to us by our psychologist Jim Doorley, who works with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee,” said Farquharson, who has been the best American luger in singles for the past two seasons. “His presentation was about how, if you have process-oriented goals—that is, goals that focus on how you get there—and combine them with visualization and self-reflection, you can achieve a significant improvement in performance and reach your outcome goals.”

The starting point was simple: a few mindful breaths to center herself, then building images of the moment ahead—where she is, who is around her, the temperature, and what she is wearing.

“For me, it's easy. I'm always in the same room, wearing the same suit, sitting on the same sled, and standing on the same starting ramp.”

Doorley's message expanded Farquharson's awareness of sports psychology, and his recommendations are now part of her routine. The 26-year-old wrote her own script to visualize race days on different tracks. A few times a week, she listens to this script or has someone read it to her to visualize a competitive run in five to seven minutes.

“The goal is to put myself in that exact moment and evoke the same images and sensations as on race day,” she said. "The end goal is to feel more prepared. You could practice a breathing pattern for the start and incorporate it into your routine — or imagine trying something new before you do it to help it stick in your memory. We'll see if it works."

Whether this will decide a medal remains uncertain. But for Farquharson, constant development is important. Motivated athletes strive for improvement, even if the means to achieve it seem unrelated to the sled – this striving is what distinguishes sporting immortals from mortals.

Technical refinement and trust in the process

In addition to her mental training, Farquharson is striving to return to what she calls a “more linear” competitive career. Although she once again led the US team in the women's singles last season – finishing ahead of 2025 World Championship bronze medalist Fischnaller – she found the inconsistency frustrating, especially after finishing 20th in Innsbruck and 15th in Winterberg.

“Two years ago, I made a big leap and finished fourth eight times,” she said. “I have to trust the process and be patient because that's how I've always worked. The speed was still there, but I felt like I was losing time on the track.”

Her technical preparation is supported by coaches Lubomir Mick and Kaspars Dumpis – both are very experienced, with Mick having competed in the Olympics twice, in 2002 and 2006. Similar to her mental routine before the race, her coaches place more emphasis on precision and consistency than speed.

“They want you to be within a few centimeters of where you should be on the track every time,” Farquharson explained. “Once you can do that, they can shift the focus to letting go, relaxing, knowing exactly where you are in the curve, and finding the speed.”

With additional support from team manager and former Olympian Jakub Simonak, as well as training in the gym and starts at the beginning of the season in Lake Placid, the Utah native has had a demanding but focused preseason. Although she is friendly and approachable, she remains extremely competitive. If there is an advantage to be found before Milano-Cortina, she wants to take it.

First impressions of Cortina

During the international training week at the end of October, Farquharson got a first taste of what to expect. After finishing 12th at the pandemic-affected 2022 Games in Beijing, her pandemic experience left much to be desired.

“None of us were allowed to have spectators. We were all separated from each other and weren't allowed to eat at the same table. The press was restricted. You needed special permission and had to follow all these rules. It was just different.”

With more maturity, deeper experience, and more World Cup starts—including regularly outperforming her experienced teammates—Milano-Cortina offers her a chance to prove her development.

Insights from the road

Farquharson has spent the time leading up to the Olympics traveling, training, and refining her approach: “We've just completed an important part of our preseason. It's hard to get back into the rhythm, and it takes time to adjust. Sigulda is a great place: high pressure, tight transitions, and the upper maze, where you have to be subtle but stay in control.”

The US team will remain in Europe until the first EBERSPÄCHER World Cup.

The runs on the Olympic track in Cortina were particularly important for Ashley and her teammates: “Our women's doubles team pre-homologated the track last spring. They said it was smooth and relatively easy to master.” We definitely welcome the change that the new Olympic venue brings: “It helps break the monotony. And it eliminates the home advantage – hopefully there will be some surprises in the results.”

Experience, she noted, is everything. “Luge is based on experience. You have to be relaxed and think ahead. Completing these runs is crucial.”

Outlook for Milan-Cortina 2026

Farquharson is going into her second Olympics with a heightened awareness of the demands of the moment – especially given the unique format of four runs over two days. “My biggest challenge will be to stay calm and focused for that long. If I have my four best runs, anything is possible. I'm going to focus on my performance, not my time.” She feels much more experienced now than she did in Beijing 2022. “Looking back, I had no idea what to expect. I was still struggling to put in two solid runs and feel comfortable on each course. In these four years, I've learned a lot about who I am as an athlete. I'm looking forward to putting what I've learned into practice now.”