After the Official Training was over, it was time for the women to test their knowledge of Luge as they compete in fast hills and might quick curves. Here are the highlights from Run 1 of the Women’s Singles Luge at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics (February 9), focusing on the top 5 positions, including the standout performances by the American athletes.
Top 5 After Run 1 – Key Highlights
1. Merle Malou Fraebel (Germany 🇩🇪) — 52.590 seconds (TR – Track Record)
- The young German phenom (Olympic debut) delivered an explosive run, setting a new track record at the Cortina Sliding Centre with a top speed of 123.6 km/h.
- Her aggressive, flawless line through the high-speed lower section gave her a razor-thin lead and immediately signaled Germany’s intent to dominate.
2. Julia Taubitz (Germany 🇩🇪) — 52.638 seconds (+0.048)
- The world champion responded with a super-consistent slide (fastest start time of 3.925 seconds).
- She was just 0.048 seconds behind her teammate, creating an intense intra-team battle right from the opening heat.
3. Verena Hofer (Italy 🇮🇹) — 52.861 seconds (+0.271)
- The local favorite used her home-track knowledge to post a strong, clean run with solid speed in the technical zones.
- She held off the Americans by a whisker to claim the early bronze position.
4. Ashley Farquharson (United States 🇺🇸) — 52.862 seconds (+0.272)
- Standout American highlight — Farquharson (Park City, UT) nailed a terrific, error-free opening slide from a mid-pack start position.
- She was just 0.001 seconds behind Hofer, putting her in excellent early medal contention and showing great composure and speed on the fast Cortina track. This run set her up perfectly for the rest of the event (she ultimately secured bronze overall).
5. Elīna Ieva Bota (Latvia 🇱🇻) — 52.878 seconds (+0.288)
- Bota (listed as Elina Bota in some sources) delivered a powerful, composed run to round out the top 5.
- She stayed close to the leaders and proved she could challenge for medals in the later heats.
Notable American Performances in Run 1
- Ashley Farquharson (4th) was the clear U.S. highlight — her near-perfect execution kept her right in the podium hunt early and built real momentum heading into Run 2.
- Emily Fischnaller (7th, 52.892 seconds, +0.302) also had a solid veteran performance, staying competitive and within striking distance of the top group.
- Summer Britcher (15th) — The early wall contact was the difference-maker, but her strong finish and recovery showed she could still push forward (and she ultimately finished 14th overall in her fourth Olympics, her best Olympic result).
Germany set the tone with the top two spots and the track record, but Farquharson’s ultra-close 4th-place run was a massive positive for Team USA on day one. The margin was so tight at the front that even tiny mistakes (or perfect lines) could swing everything later! 🛷
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