Park City (RWH)  The greatest tribute was paid by none other than Olympic gold medallist Natalie Geisenberger. In the wake of the historic triple success by the US women’s luge team, two-time Olympic gold medallist and dominant athlete of recent years knelt before her rivals with arms outstretched to present the winning trio of Erin Hamlin, Emily Sweeney, and Summer Britcher. Geisenberger accompanied the gesture with her winning smile, showing huge respect for her conquering opponents.

“The US girls used their home advantage and held their nerve. They thoroughly deserve their triple success,” Geisenberger said appreciatively. After all, it was also the first ever triple success for the US women’s team in the 38-year history of the Luge World Cup. The only previous US triple success in the Viessmann World Cup came in Lillehammer (NOR) in early December 1996 when Christian Niccum/Matt McClain, Chris Thorpe/Gordy Sheer and Mark Grimmette/Brian Martin all shared the podium.

The US triumph at Lake Placid was the first podium not to feature a German luger since January 25, 2014, when Kate Hansen, Alex Gough (CAN) and Natalia Khoreva (RUS) finished in the top three in Sigulda. However, because that was an Olympic year, the Germans had only sent their B-team to the final of the Viessmann World Cup. You have to go back as far as 1993 to find a winners photograph without a German at an event contested by the top athletes of the day. At that event, also in Sigulda, the 1994 Olympic Champion Gerda Weissensteiner of Italy topped the podium with the two Austrians Angelika Neuner and Andrea Tagwerker alongside her.

There are many reasons behind the US team’s dominance of the ice track at Lake Placid, which also included a one-two victory in the men’s singles for Chris Mazdzer and Tucker West and an inaugural World Cup success in the team relay. “The home advantage is one element,” admits Mark Grimmette, two-time Olympic medallist and now Sports Program Director for the US federation. However, Grimmette continues, “Our program is getting better. The sleds have improved over the years and the lugers have also worked on their athleticism. It is an upward trend,” says Mark Grimmette.

The US federation has also started working with industry leader Germany, or at least exchanging information. It was no coincidence that the German Sports Director and General Secretary Thomas Schwab was on hand to witness the heavy defeats for his team in Lake Placid. One of the main items on his agenda was a discussion with the US federation led by President Dwight Bell.