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Road to Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics
Youth A athlete Lily Cooke has made history as Irelands first Luge athlete to compete in the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Korea. Lily finished a fantastic 27th Place in her event.
Double Trouble
Elsa and Lily are eager to embark on their doubles luge journey, filled with excitement and anticipation. With a strong emphasis on teamwork and determination, they are ready to face the challenges the track presents. As they train together, they will develop their skills and hope to expand into the world of doubles luge, learning to navigate the twists and turns of tracks with precision.
Sliding into the Pre-Olympic Season
The preseason training for the 2024/25 season is officially underway with our athletes already working hard on the ice. We have a strong team heading out to Europe this year with 3 athletes competing internationally in this pre-Olympic season. The senior races will kick off in Lillehammer, Norway in November and the Youth A continental cups will start in Altenberg, Germany in December.
About
Luge riders hurtle down a slippery ice track at great speed, relying on reflexes for steering. Unlike bobsleigh, however, they have no protection should they make an error.
Swiss origins
Luge is the French word for “sledge” and, like bobsleigh, it was developed as a sport in Switzerland. Its roots go back to the 16th century, but it was not until 300 years later that the first luge tracks were built by Swiss hotel owners to cater for thrill-seeking tourists.
DAVOS
The first international race course was held in Davos in 1883, with competitors racing along an icy 4km road between Davos and the village of Klosters.
NO BRAKES
Luge is one of the oldest winter sports. It involves competitors lying on their backs on a tiny sled with their feet stretched out in front of them, and racing down an icy track at speeds in the range of 140 km/h, without brakes. As well as the singles, there is a pairs event, with the larger of the two team members lying on top for better aerodynamics.
OLYMPIC HISTORY
It was not until 1955 that the first World Championship was organised, i.e. 41 years after the first European Championships. Nine years later, in 1964, luge made its Olympic debut, at the Innsbruck Games, with a mixed event, a men’s event and a women’s event. The programme has not changed since then. Since 1976, this sport has taken place on the same track as bobsleigh.
The discipline was dominated by the East Germans, who won 15 of the 21 gold medals available between 1964 and 1988. One of the undisputed masters of luge is a German: Georg Hackl, who won gold three times consecutively, in 1994 in Lillehammer, 1998 in Nagano and 2002 in Salt Lake City.
Based in Oldcastle Co. Meath, the Irish Luge federation was founded in 2020 to support Irish luge athletes on the world stage.
https://www.olympic.org/luge-equipment-and-history
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