CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Ashley Farquharson became the second American woman and first in 12 years to win an Olympic medal in luge Tuesday, Feb. 10.
She finished third in the women’s single event at the Cortina Sliding Center with a time of 3:31.582. This bronze performance tied the best finish in program history, as the United States’ only other medal in women’s luge was Erin Hamlin’s bronze in 2014.
Farquharson, 26, has been sliding since age 11. She got into the sport because of an after-school program at Ecker Hill Middle School in Park City, Utah. Given the city’s unique relationship with winter sports, Farquharson was surprised to learn later in life that people outside her hometown knew so little about luge.
“Park City has something like 50 athletes competing in these Games, which could be a country in itself,” she said Friday. “So it’s special to be a part of, and I consider myself very lucky.”
Steely German Julia Taubitz, a two-time world champion, won gold at 3.30.625, and didn’t finish with a run of below 52.730. Latvia’s Elina Bota won silver by finishing at 3:31.543 over her four runs.
Farquharson entered Tuesday’s final two of four runs in fifth place but powered into third with a time of 52.877 seconds in the third run and held her spot with a 53.909 in her fourth.
American Emily Fischnaller, whose husband, Dominik, has already won bronze in men’s singles, had a rocky final run after surging to fifth after the third fun to finish 12th at 3:33.035.
Summer Britcher, expected to be the favorite of the three Americans, had a start error in Round 1 and wall knock Round 2 and finished 3:33.553.
Germany’s Merle Fraebel was in position to win silver after two runs but was doomed by a poor start that led to a rocky third run. She finished eighth at 3:32.172.
Reach USA TODAY Network sports reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@usatodayco.com, and follow her on X @petitus25.