LUGE TEAM RELAY MEDALISTS AT THE 2022 WINTER OLYMPICS:
GOLD: Natalie Geisenberger, Johannes Ludwig, Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt, GER, 3:03.406
SILVER: Madeleine Egle, Wolfgang Kindl, Thomas Steu/Lorenz Koller, AUT, 3:03.486
BRONZE: Eliza Tiruma, Kristers Aparjods, Martins Bots/Roberts Plume LAT, 3:04.354
FULL EVENT REPLAY: TEAM RELAY
After earning luge gold in men's singles, women's singles, and doubles, Germany won the team relay event at the 2022 Winter Olympics – sweeping the sport's four events for the second time at a single Games.
It was an historic win for Natalie Geisenberger and Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt, in particular. All three earned their sixth luge gold medal – an unprecedented feat.
Going last, the Germans had their work cut out for them following fast, if sometimes slightly flawed, runs by Austria and Latvia. The team of luge all-stars, all of whom won gold in their respective events, didn't have the smoothest overall run. Geisenberg finished her third of the race in the red, and Johannes Ludwig couldn't make up the difference. In a thrilling finish, the 'Two Tobis' zoomed through the course as fast as possible – and even banged their sled with just feet to go and no time to spare.
But they did it.
"It was a messy finish for Germany, but it was good enough," said commentator Mark Doran.
Silver medalists Austria posted the fastest women's time, the fastest men's time, but the second-fastest doubles time. Their medal will serve as some form of redemption for Madeleine Egle, who suffered one bad run during the singles competition and placed fifth.
The United States started off especially well with rookie Ashley Farquharson, who took 0.548 seconds off Canada. Chris Mazdzer, the men's singles eighth-place finisher, bought the team another 0.14 seconds or so. But Zach Di Gregorio/Sean Hollander got banged up in "The Dragon's Tail" – the end of the notoriously difficult, serpentine course at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre. Ultimately, Team USA finished seventh.