Canada’s Lugers: Between World Championship Success and the Olympic Challenge

Whistler (FIL/12 Sep 2025) The echoes of last winter’s cheers can still be heard on the Whistler track. Bronze at the World Championships in the team relay – an unexpected fairy tale for the young Canadian luge team. A podium that gave encouragement. A podium that gives hope. And yet, it was only a chapter along the long road to Milan-Cortina 2026.

“That was, of course, a big surprise for all of us,” recalls head coach Robert Fegg. “Very motivating, because it shows that everything is possible when consistency is there. But it inevitably also brings a bit of pressure with it.” Pressure that drives the team – but must also be managed. “We’re working with our athletes to put this success into the right perspective,” says Fegg. “In the end, everyone should be able to say: I gave everything and have no regrets.”

A Piece of the Puzzle on the Way to the Big Goal

Since April 2022, Robert Fegg and his coaching staff have been shaping the future of Canadian luge. “When we started our work, we made a plan aimed at 2030, because our team back then, and still today, is very young and inexperienced.”

But Cortina 2026 has long since become a milestone. “All in all, this summer is just another piece of the bigger puzzle,” explains the coach. Still, the focus has sharpened: starts, reaction times, the team relay – the foundations for an Olympic winter.

Small Steps, Big Impact

Fegg knows the business: a material revolution isn’t possible. “We take small steps every year, and it will remain that way. Bigger changes won’t be made – we don’t have the budget for that.” But perhaps that is exactly where their strength lies: in improvisation, in the details, in team spirit.

“In such a small team, the responsibilities overlap anyway,” he says with a smile. “Only together are we strongest.” Behind the scenes, Duncan Kennedy (sled construction), Tim Neenan (athletics), Sam Edney (high-performance director) and Fegg work side by side. They are supported by technical partners such as Rapid3D and Fidelity Machining, who help the athletes tease out those all-important hundredths of a second.

A New Track, A New Adventure

The Olympic track in Cortina is still largely an unwritten chapter – almost. Thanks to modern technology, the Canadians have already analyzed videos and onboard camera runs. “We try to get as much work done in advance as possible,” explains Fegg. “It definitely won’t all be unfamiliar when they arrive at the new track for the first time.”

The young athletes will be prepared – even if the first curves in the ice channel will still make their hearts race.

Olympic Fire Test

Fegg knows: for almost all of his athletes, Cortina will be their first Olympic Games appearance. Only Trinity Ellis has Olympic experience. “The smallest things can already make a difference,” he says. That’s why the team is not only working on strength, technique, and equipment – but also on mindset. The Olympics are more than just a race; the Olympics are emotion, pressure, adrenaline.

“As important as the Games are for us, we must not lose sight of long-term development,” Fegg cautions. “If we do it, then we’ll do it right.”

A Wish to the Fans

And what does he wish for the big moment in Cortina? Fegg doesn’t need long to think: “I would love to see as many fans and supporters as possible there – with cowbells and lots of noise. It has to be a huge party. And how could it be better than with a good pizza, red wine, and a cappuccino?”

The young team of Luge Canada is ready for the Olympic adventure. Bronze was the beginning. Cortina could be the next chapter – perhaps with even more shine, but certainly with a lot of heart.