The luge mixed team relay at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics showcased standout performances from nine nations, with Germany leading the way in dominant fashion as they been unstoppable since 2014 and it could another work of history in the books of Team Relay Luge.
Germany capped their exceptional Games with a fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the event—extending their perfect 4-for-4 record since its 2014 debutsetting a new track record of 3:41.672 anchored by women’s doubles silver medalists Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina; the team featured women’s singles champion Julia Taubitz, men’s singles champion Max Langenhan, and the legendary Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt duo (who added to their haul with this relay win, marking multiple golds for key members and underscoring Germany’s monopoly on luge excellence, as they dominated wire-to-wire with flawless runs and no mistakes per national coach Patric Leitner).
Austria secured silver in 3:42.214, repeating their 2022 result and affirming their consistency as perennial contenders, with a strong all-around effort from Lisa Schulte (women’s singles), Thomas Steu/Wolfgang Kindl (men’s doubles), Jonas Müller (men’s singles), and Selina Egle/Lara Kipp (women’s doubles) that kept them in striking distance of Germany throughout and improved on their prior track record benchmark.
Italy, the host nation, thrilled the home crowd by claiming bronze in 3:42.521—their first-ever medal in the luge team relay—building on their doubles dominance earlier in the week (including golds in both men’s and women’s doubles) with Verena Hofer (women’s singles), Emanuel Rieder/Simon Kainzwaldner (men’s doubles), Dominik Fischnaller (men’s singles), and Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer (women’s doubles) adding to an impressive overall medal haul and strong individual showings fueled by passionate local support.
Latvia delivered a thrilling fourth-place finish in 3:42.749, highlighted by a razor-sharp anchor leg from their women’s doubles pair Marta Robezniece and Kitija Bogdanova that overtook the United States by just 0.027 seconds in one of the event’s tightest margins, showcasing their speed and clutch performance under pressure despite trailing earlier legs.
United States put together an impressive showing to finish fifth in 3:42.776—less than 0.3 seconds off bronze—building early momentum with standout legs from women’s singles bronze medalist Ashley Farquharson (strong opener with the third-fastest women’s singles start at points), Marcus Mueller/Ansel Haugsjaa (second-fastest men’s doubles time overall and fastest at stages), and Jonny Gustafson (preserving a solid position with a near four-second buffer over early teams), before a heartbreaking final-leg swing from Latvia dropped Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby just short of the podium in a race that highlighted their rising competitiveness and team pride.
Ukraine (6th, 3:46.174): Delivered a respectable mid-pack performance as the fourth starter, holding their position through the four legs with no dramatic losses or gains. The team consisted of Yulianna Tunytska (Women’s Singles), Ihor Hoi / Nazarii Kachmar (Men’s Doubles), Andriy Mandziy (Men’s Singles), and Olena Stetskiv / Oleksandra Mokh (Women’s Doubles). This marked Ukraine’s best-ever result in the Olympic mixed team relay format, building on their qualification and individual efforts (e.g., Tunytska and others in top-20 range in singles). Post-race, the team made headlines with a poignant demonstration: kneeling and raising their helmets in solidarity with skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified over a helmet tribute amid geopolitical tensions—adding emotional weight to their solid showing despite the time gap of +4.502 seconds.
China (7th, 3:46.842): Competed steadily in what was effectively their full-team debut in this expanded relay format (including women’s doubles). Their lineup included Wang Peixuan (Women’s Singles), Bao Zhenyu (Men’s Singles), and the men’s doubles pair Jubayi Saikeyi / partner (exact doubles pairing noted as part of the squad). As an early starter (second in running order), they maintained consistency across legs without standout speed but contributed to the event’s global representation. The +5.170-second deficit reflected the challenge against the European sliding powerhouses on the new Cortina track, but it was a credible effort in building luge presence.
Poland (8th, 3:47.334): Provided a consistent run that added depth to the nine-nation field. Specific athlete details for their relay squad were less spotlighted in coverage, but they fielded a complete team qualifying in all disciplines (women’s singles, men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles). Starting third, they held steady through the sequence without major incidents, finishing +5.662 seconds back. This placement aligned with Poland’s historical mid-to-lower relay results but showed continued participation and competitiveness in the sport.
Romania (9th, 3:49.931): As the first starter in the running order, they set the initial benchmark time but trailed significantly by the end (+8.259 seconds). The team included Ioana-Corina Buzatoiu (Women’s Singles), Valentin Cretu (Men’s Singles), Vasile-Marian Gitlan / Darius-Lucian Serban (Men’s Doubles), and Raluca Stramaturaru (Women’s Doubles, though paired accordingly). Their effort completed the full relay on the demanding Cortina track, marking solid execution despite the gap to the leaders—typical for teams outside the top sliding nations but valuable for experience and qualification achievement.
These teams rounded out a competitive field of nine, with the early starters naturally giving way to the stronger late runners (Latvia through Germany). The event underscored luge’s narrow margins and depth, even in the back half of the results.
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