2nd EBERSPAECHER Luge World Cup Park City (USA):

Halfway through in Park City: Jonas Müller and Summer Britcher lead the way

Park City (FIL/12 Dec 2025) For the women and men, the EBERSPAECHER Luge Trial Course World Cup in Park City is like a dress rehearsal for the Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo at the beginning of February: there is one night between the first and second runs. Jonas Müller leads the men's competition. The 28-year-old Austrian completed the 1316-meter course at Utah Olympic Park in 44.652 seconds, 0.154 seconds faster than world champion Max Langenhan (Germany), who is competing in Park City for the first time. He is followed by two Italians, Leon Felderer (0.214 seconds behind) and Dominik Fischnaller (0.300). American Jonathan Gustafson (0.390) took advantage of his home advantage to clock the fifth-fastest run (0.390). Alex Gufler (Italy/0.451) is in sixth place at the halfway stage. Olympic champions David Gleirscher (Austria/DNF), who could not finish his run and Felix Loch (Germany/0.869) in 14th place had major problems adjusting to the 2002 Olympic track.

“Park City is incredibly fast,” said Felderer, who won the Nations Cup in the morning. “When you come from Cortina, you're surprised at first and have to really adjust. I think the two-day World Cup format is really good. It makes it interesting for the spectators, and we athletes get good training for the Olympic Games, where we also have a night between the two race days.”

In the women's event, Americans Summer Britcher and Emily Fischnaller took advantage of their early start numbers in air temperatures of nine degrees Celsius. Britcher was the fastest with start number one. She completed the 1,140 meters from the start to the finish light barrier in 43.291 seconds. Her teammate Fischnaller was only four thousandths of a second slower with start number five. Dorothea Schwarz had start number nine. The Austrian came in third, 0.033 seconds behind. Fourth at half-time is Italy's Verena Hofer (0.105) ahead of 2024 World Champion Lisa Schulte (0.124) and Winterberg winner Hannah Prock (both Austria/0.190). Overall World Cup winner Julia Taubitz is not yet in form. The German lost her way before curve 14 and is in 15th place, 0.425 seconds behind, ahead of the final second run on Saturday, December 13.

On Saturday, the men will start the second run at 4:15 p.m. (MT/local time in Utah)/12:15 a.m. (CET), followed by the women at 5:20 p.m./1:20 a.m. (CET).