From Altenberg, GER
(January 12, 2025) – Madeleine Egle slid to victory in the fifth women’s luge race of the 2024/2025 season. A week after crashing out of competition in Sigulda, Egle took the gold in what was another interesting race in Altenberg.
After one run, Egle had the lead ahead of Austrian teammate Lisa Schulte, who had won the world championship in Altenberg, and Germany’s Anna Berreiter.
But like other races in Altenberg this weekend, the wind picked up on a track that was already sliding far more difficult than in training, and athletes struggled as a result.
USA’s Ashley Farquharson, Italy’s Sandra Robatscher, Latvia’s Kendija Aparjode and Italy’s Verena Hofer were all somewhere from tenth to 13th after the first heat but made their way into the back half of the top ten by simply putting down clean runs when others couldn’t. Germany’s Merle Fräbel did even better from ninth place, as she slid up the order to fourth place with three sleds to go after Julia Taubitz had trouble out of Curve 14 and Dorothea Schwarz was disqualified for runners that were too warm.
Berreiter once again put down a run that was clean and nearly a tenth quicker than her first effort to take the lead from her German teammate. Schulte, who came into the race as the World Cup leader, had a clean run but couldn’t match the pace of either Berreiter or Fräbel and fell to third with one to go.
That left Egle still to go. The Austrian had a horrible race in Sidulda, but rallied back in Altenberg with a second run that was quicker than her first on her way to a .150 victory over Berreiter, with Fräbel third.
It was the third victory for Egle on the season. The silver for Berreiter was her first on the season, while Fräbel’s bronze was her second straight medal.
Schulte finished in fourth, just over a tenth ahead of Natalie Maag, who had her best finish of the season in fifth.
In the tough racing conditions the Americans couldn’t put two straight runs together. Farquharson moved up after an “okay” first run but a strong second slide to finish sixth. Emily Sweeney had entered the second heat in sixth but trouble out of Curve 14 dropped her to a tie for 14th with teammate Summer Britcher. Emme Erickson again rounded out the American effort with a run that was close to a second heat and finished 21st.
The Canadians had a full field of athletes in the race, and filled in the back part of the top 20, with Trinity Ellis, Caitlin Nash, and Embyr-Lee Susko 17th through 19th, respectively.
With four races to go in the 2024/2025 World Cup season, Madeleine Egle leads Lisa Schulte by just four points. Julia Taubitz is third, 29 points out of the lead, with Merle Fräbel and Anna Berreiter fourth and fifth.
Results:
| Pos | Name | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total |
| 1 | Madeleine Egle | AUT | 17 | 5.525 | 5.514 | 52.868 | 52.774 | 1:45.642 |
| 2 | Anna Berreiter | GER | 13 | 5.530 | 5.572 | 52.938 | 52.854 | 1:45.792 |
| 3 | Merle Fräbel | GER | 16 | 5.563 | 5.558 | 53.085 | 52.820 | 1:45.905 |
| 4 | Lisa Schulte | AUT | 15 | 5.605 | 5.653 | 52.902 | 53.062 | 1:45.964 |
| 5 | Natalie Maag | SUI | 8 | 5.606 | 5.647 | 53.058 | 53.036 | 1:46.094 |
| 6 | Ashley Farquharson | USA | 9 | 5.635 | 5.611 | 53.144 | 52.964 | 1:46.108 |
| 7 | Sandra Robatscher | ITA | 18 | 5.609 | 5.623 | 53.206 | 53.111 | 1:46.317 |
| 8 | Kendija Aparjode | LAT | 11 | 5.688 | 5.694 | 53.341 | 53.286 | 1:46.627 |
| 9 | Verena Hofer | ITA | 4 | 5.555 | 5.585 | 53.312 | 53.417 | 1:46.729 |
| 10 | Julia Taubitz | GER | 12 | 5.544 | 5.597 | 52.994 | 53.737 | 1:46.731 |
| 11 | Barbara Allmaier | AUT | 10 | 5.683 | 5.662 | 53.368 | 53.411 | 1:46.779 |
| 12 | Melina Fischer | GER | 3 | 5.654 | 5.585 | 53.704 | 53.254 | 1:46.958 |
| 13 | Elina Bota | LAT | 14 | 5.514 | 5.557 | 53.069 | 53.983 | 1:47.052 |
| 14 | Emly Sweeney | USA | 7 | 5.620 | 5.570 | 53.007 | 54.232 | 1:47.239 |
| 15 | Summer Britcher | USA | 6 | 5.693 | 5.628 | 53.486 | 53.753 | 1:47.239 |
| 16 | Klaudia Domaradzka | POL | 28 | 5.633 | 5.621 | 53.681 | 53.761 | 1:47.442 |
| 17 | Trinity Ellis | CAN | 22 | 5.652 | 5.647 | 53.729 | 53.801 | 1:47.530 |
| 18 | Caitlin Nash | CAN | 19 | 5.616 | 5.660 | 53.608 | 54.412 | 1:48.020 |
| 19 | Embyr-Lee Susko | CAN | 20 | 5.706 | 5.697 | 53.781 | 55.562 | 1:49.343 |
| 20 | Tove Kohala | SWE | 2 | 5.685 | 53.838 | |||
| 21 | Emma Erickson | USA | 25 | 5.607 | 53.913 | |||
| 22 | Nina Zöggeler | ITA | 1 | 5.661 | 53.981 | |||
| 23 | Yuliana Tunytska | UKR | 24 | 5.613 | 54.019 | |||
| 24 | Huilan Hu | CHN | 23 | 5.686 | 64.054 | |||
| 25 | Peixuan Wang | CHN | 26 | 5.649 | 64.149 | |||
| 26 | Ioana Corina Buzatoiu | ROU | 21 | 5.687 | 54.349 | |||
| 27 | Anna Shkret | UKR | 30 | 5.771 | 54.709 | |||
| 28 | Elsa Desmond | IRL | 29 | 5.708 | 55.024 | |||
| 29 | Veronica Ravenna | ARG | 27 | 5.831 | 55.365 | |||
| DSQ | Dorothea Schwarz | AUT | 5 | 5.633 | 52.942 | DSQ |