Milano Cortina Music in Downey’s Ears
Why Canada’s young luger Theo Downey finds more than just fast lines
Lake Placid (FIL/26 Dec 2025) When the cameras switch off in the international luge circuit, things usually grow quiet. Most athletes guard their moments away from the spotlight. The public mostly sees start times, split times, and finish times. Between exhausting World Cup travel, constant equipment testing, and tough strength sessions, there’s little room left for personal passions.
For Theo Downey, things are different.
The 20-year-old Canadian openly shares his life outside the ice track with the world: his music. On Instagram he regularly appears with different instruments. The rising star of men’s singles reveals a side of himself that normally stays hidden in the daily grind of racing. While others are lifting weights, Theo is flying across the piano keys.
The musician on ice
Downey feels just as at home at the piano as he does on the sled. One of his posts shows him experimenting with synth sounds—a playful contrast to the high-performance world of elite sport.
“Music is just fun,” he says. “I listen to a lot of music on the track or when I’ve got downtime. I always have an AirPod in—music in the background really helps me focus.”
Right now, he’s practicing pieces as versatile as his sliding style: Dream a Little Dream of Me, Love Like You from Steven Universe, the iconic Great Fairy Fountain from Zelda, Rosalina’s Observatory from Super Mario Galaxy, plus tracks by Mac DeMarco and jazz pianist Matt Christensen.
The piano is his main instrument, but Downey is remarkably multi-talented. Since his school band days he has played trombone, ocarina (“that weird long clay wind instrument”), ukulele, and has at least briefly tried his father’s guitar and his grandfather’s violin.
His Spotify playlists are legendary among his friends.
“I don’t separate by genre. I just have one big playlist—800 songs, 46 hours—that I put on shuffle.”
His main playlist is called Dumpster Fire. He adds with a laugh: “I also have a second playlist for funny songs that I like but don’t want in my regular mix.” And of course, there’s one he created just for his girlfriend.
The young gun on ice
Even at only 20, Downey has been on a sled for more than eleven years. As a nine-year-old, he spotted a sign at a freestyle ski day: “Try Luge.” He tried—and found his sport.
With teammate Dylan Morse moving to Great Britain, Downey now steps into the leading position in Canadian men’s singles. The timing couldn’t be better: he’s entering his first full senior season and spent the summer trying to put on weight.
“I ate more than ever before. My metabolism is like a rabid wolf,” he jokes. He gained twelve kilograms—rising from 83 to 95. “A crucial year for my growth.”
His view on the Pista Olimpica Eugenio Monti
Cortina d’Ampezzo is currently the center of attention for the luge world. The Olympic Test Event went well for Downey with a 19th-place finish, giving him his first impressions ahead of Milano Cortina 2026.
For Downey, the new track feels like a puzzle—one he’s determined to solve.
“The track is very fluid, but there are spots you really need to nail. After Labyrinth 3 it’s super flat. A big part of the race is decided in the first curves up to Curve 6.”
After that, he says, it’s all about maintaining the result. His analysis:
“Cortina is neither a pure glider track nor a pure driving track. For me, it’s an interesting mix of both.”
This fine technical understanding shows how reflective he is as an athlete. Downey doesn’t just explain tracks—he dissects them. A thinker on a sled.
An athlete to watch in the 2025/26 season
Canada is undergoing a transition. Many experienced, successful athletes have retired, and a younger generation is emerging. For Downey, that’s no disadvantage:
“We’re younger, but almost all of us have raced for many years. I truly believe Canada can make some noise this season.”
His goal for the season?
Modest in words, ambitious in reality: qualify for every race. An impressive aim for his first full senior year.
It was also a deliberate decision to challenge the European specialists. This autumn, the Canadians trained in Whistler, Oberhof, Igls, Altenberg and Cortina—and the World Cup opener took place in Winterberg before the tour headed back to North America.
After multiple Junior World Cup podiums and a year of growth and technical refinement, one thing is clear: Theo Downey is one of the most exciting young names in men’s singles.
Music in his head – focus on the ice
Anyone who watches Theo at the piano quickly understands why he races with such precision.
For him, music and luge are two sides of the same coin: rhythm, timing, feel, control.
For Cortina and the Olympic season, that means:
An athlete with an analytical eye, a musical ear—and the courage to carve his own path.
