Britcher and Sweeney compete in women's doubles

Lake Placid, N.Y. (USA Luge / FIL 08 Nov. 2022) During a virtual press conference on November 7, 2022, the two currently most successful U.S. lugers, Summer Britcher and Emily Sweeney, announced that they have decided to join forces in luge doubles.

Britcher and Sweeney began training together in July 2022 and said at the press conference that they are working hard toward the upcoming competitive season.

Britcher, from Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, is a three-time Olympian and has the most wins in U.S. singles luge history with five World Cup victories. Sweeney, of Lake Placid, is a two-time Olympian and a bronze medalist at the 2019 World Championships.

While the duo is still in the learning phase of doubles, they are enjoying the experience and believe in their potential as a team.

"It's been a lot of fun working with Summer in a whole new way," Sweeney said. "We've been teammates for years, but being on the same sled solidifies our teammate relationship even more. Training together brings a whole new level of motivation and encouragement, and while it feels completely new at times, I've already seen our experience from singles carry over to doubles, which is really encouraging."

"Training and learning doubles with Emily has been so exciting," Britcher added. "At this point in my singles career, I may not see week-to-week improvements in my riding on the sled, let alone run-to-run, but in doubles we're beginners and it's been cool to learn, improve and work with a teammate, which is something I've missed in my singles career."

Although they plan to focus primarily on singles races this season, both athletes are taking advantage of the opportunity and combining their experiences for success.

"Being so established in singles, we can look back at both of our careers, from the beginning to now," Britcher added. "From the ups and downs, what worked and what didn't, and to be strategic about how we train and approach each obstacle."

While Britcher and Sweeney are fully funded by USA Luge as singles athletes, their journey to doubles has been a challenge, especially in terms of funding their doubles team.

"We're new to this discipline, and since we're not traditional athletes, our path to funding and equipment looks a little different," Britcher said. "We're responsible for sourcing and funding our own equipment, but we're willing to do whatever it takes to see what we're capable of this year."

The duo plans to make their competition debut at the World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria, in December.

The World Cup will kick off the new nine-race season again on Dec. 3 and 4 at the Olympic track in Igls, Austria. For the first time since 2019, the world's elite lugers will return to the United States to compete in the 3rd EBERSPÄCHER World Cup on December 16-17 in Park City, Utah. The World Championships will be held in Oberhof, Germany, from January 27-29, 2023.

photo: Instagram Summer Britcher and Emily Sweeney