WHISTLER, B.C.—Canada’s Embyr-Lee Susko may have shocked the world, but not herself, while sliding to a fourth-place finish in women’s singles racing at the 53rd Luge World Championships on home ice in
Whistler, B.C. on Friday.
“I may not have bet on this result, but my training has been tracking really well, and I was hoping for a top 10. To be in the top five is incredible,” said the 19-year-old Susko.
“There is nothing I could ask for to change in any of those runs. Those were some of my best starts, just clean runs and it was incredible to throw down on my home track. This was my race, and I’m so stoked on it.”
Susko finished just one spot shy of the podium with a combined time of 1:17.287.
“It was insane sliding up to the finish. Seeing my parents and all of Canada behind me, I can’t even it put it into words. It was incredible. I never could have imagined this,” said Susko. “Sometimes I forget that I’m
only 19 and I’m racing against everyone that is significantly older than me.”
The fun-loving Canuck definitely made a statement while officially introducing herself to the world’s fastest feet-first tobogganers by chalking up the fourth-fastest opening run time down the highly technical 10-corner Whistler Sliding Centre track that snakes down Blackcomb Mountain.
“I was freaking out between runs. It’s just really weird to be in basically an empty start house with people you have looked up to in the sliding community forever, and now they are starting in front of me in the second run – that is insane – I’m just overjoyed,” laughed Susko. “Managing the nerves was a bit of a challenge, but I was able to figure it out and throw down another good run.
“I think this shows that I can calm my nerves and figure it out. That is a good thing to have in my back pocket moving into an Olympic year.”
Susko put up a fight in her bid to become just the second Canadian woman ever to win a World Championship medal, with the third-fastest final-run time. Alex Gough – the nation’s most accomplished luge athlete who greeted Susko on the finish dock Friday – snagged two bronze medals at the premier event in a non-Olympic year (2013 and 2011).
Two Germans and an American held off the hard-charging Canadian.
Germany’s Julia Taubitz took the World Championship title with a time of 1:17.206. Merle Fraebel, also of Germany, was second at 1:17.247. Emily Sweeney, of the United States, dropped two spots into third in the final heat at 1:17.249.
It has been quite a ride for the young Susko since breaking through with a ninth-place finish one year ago in Whistler in just her second ever Luge World Cup race. She capped off her rookie season with a silver medal at the 2024 Junior World Championships. Her result on Friday night also solidified her another silver medal – this time in the Under-23 World Championship division.
Canada’s Trinity Ellis also had one of her best runs of the season in her final trip down the track lined by thousands of fans cheering on their local heroes Friday night. Ellis, of Pemberton, B.C., placed 13th at 1:17.653. The result secured her the bronze medal in the U23 standings.
“We’ve been looking forward to this event for years, so I was really happy with that second run,” said Ellis. “The first run, there was definitely things left on the table, so I’m happy to end it on a clean one and pick up a couple of spots.”
Caitlin Nash (Whistler, B.C.) was 16th at 1:17.755. Calgary’s Carolyn Maxwell was 25th.
Canada’s Women’s Doubles Team Win U23 Bronze, Finish Eighth Overall
Canada’s new women’s doubles project of Beattie Podulsky and Kailey Allan impressed the hometown faithful lining the Whistler Sliding Centre track by securing a bronze medal in the Under-23 standings with a solid eighth-place finish overall.
The Calgary-based duo had one of their cleanest runs of the week to set the tone for a fast Friday night at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
“That was a great run. I’d take that run any day,” beamed the 21-year-old Kailey Allan.
The young Canucks clocked the eighth fastest run in each of their two trips down the track to lock up a top-10 finish with a combined time of 1:18:408.
“I’m really happy with how we did,” said Podulsky. “This is our first World Champs. We laid down pretty solid runs and that is all you can ask for. A little mistake out of corner 16 (on the second run), but we’ll take it.”
Allan and Podulsky have spent the bulk of their time this season training at the Whistler Sliding Centre, mastering their lines and building chemistry in their progression on the doubles sled. They put their training to the test for two World Cup races in January.
“I’m really excited with the opportunity it presents as a team and to see what we can do. This is our first season together so I know there is a lot more in store for next year,” added Podulsky. “The fire is fueled so we are going to come back next year with even more passion.”
Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Kipp were crowned World Champions in women’s doubles with a time of 1:17.724. Two German sleds grabbed the final two spots on the podium. Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne
Rosenthal stopped the clock at 1:17.753. Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena locked up the bronze medal with a time of 1:17.784.
Canada also sent one sled to the start line for the men’s doubles race. Devin Wardrope and Cole Zajanski finished 12th overall with a two-run time of 1:17.298.
“World Championships is a huge deal and having it at home increases the pressure,” said Wardrope. “We enjoyed it. Even though the results aren’t where we want them right now, it was still a really good race.”
Germany’s Hannes Orlamuender and Paul Gubitz posted a winning time of 1:16.538.
The Luge World Championships wrap up on Saturday with the men’s singles race followed by the Team Relay.
Whistler’s highly popular “The Hairfarmers” will perform live on February 8, in addition to local food favourites and the Gibbons Beer Garden featured in the Apres Ski celebrations at the track.
All races are streamed live in Canada on www.cbc.ca. The women’s singles race will also be featured on CBC Sports, February 8, at 3 p.m. ET. A complete broadcast schedule can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/streaming-schedule?sport=Luge
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan
Media and Public Relations
Canadian Luge Association
T: 403-620-8731