Preview: 53rd FIL Luge World Championships 2025 in Whistler (Canada)

Whistler (FIL/03 Feb 2025) The 53rd FIL Luge World Championships will take place from February 6 to 8, 2025, at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, Canada. For the second time since 2013, the FIL Luge World Championships will be held on the Olympic track of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics in the Blackcomb Mountains.

A total of 163 athletes from 21 nations have registered for this year’s championship, including 35 women, 35 men, 15 women’s doubles teams, 24 men’s doubles teams, and 9 team relay squads. Additionally, 21 mixed singles and 13 mixed doubles teams will compete in the newly introduced mixed event.

The opening ceremony is set for Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 7:00 PM on the Village Square stage in Whistler.

World Championship medals will be awarded in the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, team relay, as well as for the first time in the mixed singles and mixed doubles events. Except for the team relay and mixed events, each competition will feature two decisive runs.

On Thursday, February 6, 2025, the World Championship decisions in the mixed events will begin at 10:30 AM local time. On Friday, February 7, 2025, the men’s doubles competition will start at 2:00 PM, followed by the women’s doubles at 2:45 PM. At 5:20 PM, the women’s singles competitors will race for World Championship medals. On Saturday, February 8, 2025, the men’s singles event begins at 1:45 PM, leading up to the grand finale—the team relay—at 5:00 PM.

World Championship Debut for Mixed Events

After two successful World Cup events in Lillehammer (NOR) and Oberhof (GER), the mixed events will make their World Championship debut in Whistler. In the mixed singles and mixed doubles disciplines, each team consists of one man and one woman in the singles race, or a men’s and a women’s doubles pair competing as a mixed relay team.

“As in the EBERSPAECHER World Cup, international mixed teams are also allowed at the World Championships, provided that their respective nations are not already competing with their own team in the mixed event. If an international mixed team were to win the World Championship title, we would play both national anthems in alphabetical order during the award ceremony,” explained FIL Sports Director Matthias Böhmer.

At previous World Cup events, German lugers performed best in transitioning at the touchpad and reacting quickly at the start. In both mixed singles and mixed doubles, one of Germany’s mixed teams topped the podium. A total of four international mixed singles teams have registered for the World Championships. Swiss athlete Natalie Maag and her Australian teammate Alexander Ferlazzo are currently ranked 10th in the mixed World Cup standings, while Veronica Ravenna (ARG) and Jozef Ninis (SVK) hold 13th place.

World Championship Recap: Austria the Most Successful Nation

At the 52nd FIL Luge World Championships in Altenberg last year, Team Austria dominated with four gold, three silver, and two bronze medals, achieving their best-ever World Championship result. The German team also had a strong showing, earning a total of seven medals: three gold, two silver, and two bronze. Latvia and Italy each claimed one World Championship title.

In the women’s singles, Austria’s Lisa Schulte took gold, ahead of Julia Taubitz (GER) and her Austrian teammate Madeleine Egle. In the men’s singles, Max Langenhan (GER) secured his first World Championship title, finishing ahead of Nico Gleirscher (AUT) and Felix Loch (GER). Austria claimed both doubles titles, with Egle/Kipp winning the women’s event ahead of Upita/Kaluma (LAT) and Forgan/Kirkby (USA), while Gatt/Schöpf won the men’s event, beating Steu/Kindl (both AUT) and Wendl/Arlt (GER). In the team relay, Germany triumphed over the USA and Latvia.

The official test event for the World Championships took place last season from December 14 to 16, 2023, during the EBERSPAECHER World Cup in Whistler. Germany won all five World Cup events, thanks to victories from Julia Taubitz, Max Langenhan, Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal, Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt, and the German team relay.

Germany also swept the women’s singles podium, with overall World Cup champion Julia Taubitz winning ahead of teammates Anna Berreiter and Merle Fräbel. In the men’s singles, Max Langenhan (GER) continued his dominant streak, securing his ninth consecutive victory across multiple seasons. Austria’s Jonas Müller and Latvia’s Kristers Aparjods also reached the podium. In women’s doubles, Degenhardt/Rosenthal finished ahead of teammates Eitberger/Schirmer (both GER) and Italy’s Vötter/Oberhofer. Meanwhile, in men’s doubles, Wendl/Arlt won ahead of Steu/Kindl and their German teammates Orlamünder/Gubitz. The team relay concluded with Germany winning gold, followed by Austria and the USA.

The ongoing World Cup season has shown that thrilling World Championship battles are expected across all disciplines. After seven of nine World Cup races, Austria’s Madeleine Egle and the women’s doubles pair Selina Egle/Lara Kipp, along with Germany’s Max Langenhan and men’s doubles team Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt, currently lead the overall World Cup standings.

For an up-to-date overview of the overall World Cup rankings, visit: World Cup Standings – Luge

Hüfner, Zöggeler, Degenhardt/Rosenthal, Eggert/Benecken, and Team Germany Lead the World Championship Rankings

A look at the all-time World Championship statistics (excluding sprint and team events) shows that in the Women’s singles category, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Champion Tatjana Hüfner (GER) leads with five World Championship titles and one silver medal. She is followed by Natalie Geisenberger (GER), who has won four gold, four silver, and one bronze medal. Both athletes retired from competition in 2019 and 2023, respectively. Among currently active singles athletes, Sprint World Champion Julia Taubitz ranks 12th with one title and four silver medals. Defending World Champion Lisa Schulte (AUT) and Anna Berreiter (GER) each have one World Championship gold medal, placing them at 23rd.

In the Men’s singles category, Italy’s current sports director Armin Zöggeler (six Olympic medals) and three-time Olympic Champion Felix Loch (GER) are tied at the top. Both have secured six gold, three silver, and one bronze medal at the World Championships. If Loch wins a medal in Whistler, he would make history by becoming the sole leader in the all-time World Championship rankings. His past successes at the Whistler track highlight his strength - he won his first Olympic gold here in 2010, followed by World Championship gold in both singles and team relay in 2013, as well as three of his 52 career World Cup victories. His teammate Max Langenhan and Austria’s Jonas Müller each hold one gold and one silver medal, placing them 15th in the rankings, closely followed by Wolfgang Kindl (AUT) with one gold and three bronze medals.

In the Men’s doubles category, Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken (GER) lead the all-time rankings with five gold and three silver medals. While Benecken has retired, Eggert has made an impressive comeback with his new partner Florian Müller. The duo won the season opener in Lillehammer (NOR) and also reached the podium in Innsbruck (AUT). Their German teammates 6-times Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt rank seventh with three gold, five silver, and two bronze medals at World Championshps. They also have a strong record in Whistler, having won World Championship gold in doubles and the team relay in 2013, along with two of their 56 World Cup victories.

The Women’s doubles World Championship was first introduced in 2022, initially held alongside the Junior World Championships in Winterberg. Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER) currently top the rankings with two gold medals, ahead of Selina Egle/Lara Kipp (AUT) with one gold and one silver, and Anda Upite/Zane Kaluma (LAT) with one silver. Close behind is the American duo Chevonne Forgan/Sophia Kirkby, who have claimed two World Championship bronze medals.

The U.S. pair has already reached the podium four times this season and currently ranks third in the overall World Cup standings, behind Egle/Kipp and Degenhardt/Rosenthal.

Since 2008, the Team relay has traditionally closed out the World Championships, delivering one of the most emotional highlights of the competition due to its reactive start and the high-pressure transitions at the touchpad. Since the event was introduced in its current format at the 2008 World Championships in Oberhof, Team Germany has stood on the podium in all 12 Team relay events, winning gold 10 times. Team Austria has won one gold and four silver medals, while Team Latvia has secured two silver and six bronze medals. Team USA has claimed two silver and one bronze medal, and Team Canada has earned one silver and three bronze medals.

For the complete World Championship statistics, visit: FIL International Luge Federation Statistics

Quotes:

Devin Wardrope (CAN): „We flew back home after Oberhof for Christmas and a good recovery before we head out for the second half of this season. We did a little bit of training on the track at Whistler to make sure we have all defined details and we feel comfortable, so that we will be ready for the World Championships. We are looking forward to it very much. There is no better feeling than racing in front of friends and family and especially at home. It will be really fun and a huge motivation. There are some tricky sections I think from the double start, a lot of teams have problems in 9, 10, 11 where it's a relatively slow speed section, but there is some work to be done to make sure you're not losing speed through there.“

Carolyn Maxwell (CAN): “I am excited for the WCH here in Whistler, because I will be able to race in front of my family and friends and show the world what we have been working on in the past couple of years as team Canada. I think it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not many people are going to say they raced in a World Championship at home. We just want to soak in the home crowd and really appreciate the moments that we have in it because a lot of the races we do are in Europe, so it's not often we're going to have these big races and have a bunch of people come out from Canada to watch.“

Julia Taubitz (GER): “I really like the track in Whistler. It's a short track for us, which means you have to race really cleanly and, above all, start quickly. That's still a bit of a shortcoming for me, but I think I'm on the right track. I also like the whole area around Whistler. We have vacation homes there and can cook for ourselves. The whole feeling is really cool, so I'm sure it will be really nice World Championships. Personally, I would like to take home at least one gold medal. In which discipline doesn't matter in the end. I would like to show the best runs, have a really good slide, enjoy everything and then hopefully be at the top. I'm also looking forward to the new mixed event, where I finished on the podium twice in the World Cup with Max [Langenhan]. As we don't start at the same starting height, I always go up to the men's start to warm up with Max and get the team feeling. I think it's a great event and would love to take part in the World Championships, too.”

Madeleine Egle (AUT): “My goal from the start was to win a medal in Whistler. Even if I'm now the favorite for many, it doesn't change my basic principle. The week of training shows whether you have a good chance or whether it's more of a game of chance. Sure, our equipment fits and I start fast, which is important in Whistler, but it depends on so many factors. The weather makes a big difference to the equipment, and depending on your form, it may or may not work out better at the start.”

Anna Berreiter (GER): “I have good memories of Whistler because I was able to celebrate my first podium there in my first World Cup season, which came as a surprise. I'm going there with a good feeling because we celebrated a great three-podium finish there last year. It's always fun when there are three of us on the podium at the front. I'd like to do that again, but there are a lot of factors and other lugers involved. That's why I'll take my chances.”

Lisa Schulte (AUT): “I've only been on the World Championship track in Whistler twice, so I don't have that much experience yet. But I think the track is super cool and I'm really looking forward to it. Fortunately, I also get tips from those who have raced there more often. We all stick together as a team.”

Summer Britcher (USA): „I am very excited. I love Whistler. I haven`t had very good results there, but I am hoping that for the World Championships it will be different and that it will be my lucky year. I hope that family and friends will be there and I am definitely looking forward to it.“

Emily Sweeney (USA): „Winterberg was great and I felt ready to go home and get rested. I am so looking forward to the World Championships. I love racing in Whistler. It is such a fun track. Whistler is a happy place for me and I am ready to race there. It was actually the goal for the whole season. I have a lot of friends and family coming up there and I am really excited for it. You can`t have a bad time in Whistler. A good result makes it so much better, but either way it is a win.“

Ashley Farquharson (USA): „My family is coming to Whistler. They don’t get many chances to come to the races, so I am really excited for them. I think it will be really fun, no matter the outcome. If I do great, I am extra happy that they are there. If I am bad, I am extra happy, too. I do like the track. It is fast and there isn`t a ton to do, so it is great for just chilling and gaining speed, which I am good at.“

Natalie Maag (SUI): “Starting with Alex [Ferlazzo] in the mixed event at the World Championships will be really cool. He's been on the up recently in the World Cup and it's just fun to form a team with him. Otherwise I'll have to look at the single-seater. Whistler is always so close, every mistake can cost so much. You can be lucky by a thousandth of a second and be five places higher up. It will definitely be an exciting competition.”

Kendija Aparjode (LAT): „I like Whistler, but the track is not too long and you need a good start there. Since my start is not so good, it will be difficult for me, but we will see.“

Felix Loch (GER): “Even though I've raced here so often, it's not a sure-fire success. It's a track that suits me from top to bottom. I've really enjoyed it ever since I rode there for the first time. I'm really looking forward to the World Championships and in terms of form, we're on the right track for the World Championships. It's incredibly tight in the men's field and it will be a very close race in Whistler too, but we're not without a chance and have the chance to fight for the medal, and of course we'll try to do that.

The special thing about the track is the speed, which has always been fascinating. The track has a beautiful character and there's not one place that doesn't fit into the track at all, it's all very harmonious. That's why I always get on there very well. It's really worthy of all the credit what the track crew always does there. The conditions are almost always perfect, and of course it's fun to slide there.”

Armin Zöggeler (2-times Olympic Champion and now Sport Director ITA):
“I didn't even think about these eternal World Championship statistics, but I wish Felix all the best if he wins a medal and overtakes me.”

Max Langenhan (GER): “Whistler is a track that suits me well. We'll have to see how the weather turns out, but we have a lot of training runs and after the last few years there I'm very positive. The main difficulty is the precise sliding. You can't afford to make any mistakes because it's all at high speed and every mistake costs you two or three hundredths. That's why it's important to get off to a good start on the flat, to slide cleanly and without slipping. I think whoever makes the fewest mistakes will win the race there.”

Anton Dukach (UKR): „I am so excited for the World Championships, because it is the fastest track in the world and it will be a race full of adrenaline. I like the track in Whistler very much. It is a pretty easy track, but you need to have a very good start time. I hope to improve my starting. If I have a top ten start time I could be able to fight for a top ten finish.“

Gints Berzins (LAT): „I haven`t done much runs in Whistler, yet, but I do like the track. It will be a little scary at the beginning, but everything will be good. The most difficult part ist he bottom of the track, which is the fastest and you need to be very careful with what you are actually doing with your sled.“

Alexander Ferlazzo (AUS): „I love Whister, it is my home track and I could hopefully put some decent runs down there. I am also really looking forward to the Single Mixed Event with Natalie [Maag]. She got third in her single race in Oberhof, so I have a lot of work to do, to keep up with her.“

Jonathan Gustafson USA): „I am sure there will be lots of American fans onsite to support us. We love to see that. Anytime we have our family and friends it is exciting. To have some home fans coming in helps a lot. I do like the track, it is a fast track, but it is a lot of fun. Going that fast is a lot of fun, that`s why we do the sports. The G-forces, the speed – Whistler is a very flowy track and I have a lot of fun with that.“

Dominik Fischnaller (ITA): „I am very excited for the Luge World Championships in Whistler, because back in 2013 it was my first World Championships. Going back there in 2025 is very exciting for me, and I hope I will come home with a medal around my neck.“

David Gleirscher (AUT): “Generally speaking, I wouldn't count Whistler as one of my favorite tracks. I've already had some pretty decent races there and will try to be fully involved at the start because the first few corners are very flat. In any case, I'll go all in and then we'll see what's possible. Hopefully we'll have colder temperatures. We can cope better with that, as we saw recently in Oberhof.”

Leon Felderer (ITA): “I have to say, when I was in Whistler for the first time, I was really scared. You only hear the stories about how fast it is, but when you actually race it yourself, you really feel it. You don't feel the speed until you have problems. As soon as you have problems, it gets really fast and then it gets interesting. My relationship with the track is very good because it's my favorite place on the whole tour. I really like it, it's also more of a gliding track. We no longer start at the top like they used to, which I think is a good thing. It makes the run a lot easier. The start is very important in Whistler because the upper turns are very flat. That's why you have to be good at the start and then hit the right line on the track.”

Eduard-Mihai Craciun (ROM): „I am excited to race in Whistler because of the speedy track and the great scenery around there.“

Valentin Cretu (ROM): „I am very excited because 2010 Vancouver were my first Olympia Games. It is always a pleasure and an honour to be back there.“

Tobias Wendl (GER): “We have very good memories of the track in Whistler. The 2013 World Championship title was our first major title. We became world champions in 2008, but then had a real dry spell at the major events from 2009 to 2012. In 2013, we finally hit our stride in Whistler and since then we've been on the podium every year at the season highlight. I think it's going to be very close, with narrow gaps. The first six doubles are very close together and then it's all about nerves of steel and who makes fewer mistakes. The start is also crucial, how you enter the first turn at the top. It's very long, with no pressure, and if you slip a little, you lose time. We know that we are fast at the start and that we can start in the best possible shape if we stay healthy.”

Tobias Arlt (GER): “The track is nestled in the mountains. We love the mountains! Now we also have a bit of snow. It's simply a beautifully constructed track. Of course, we would prefer to race from higher up, just like we did in 2009 and 2010. That would make it even more exciting. We race from the current starting height in just under 40 seconds, and it's a very beautiful track that we like so much.”

Emanuel Rieder (ITA): “We have mixed feelings about the World Championship track in Whistler. We had a good race there once, but last year we weren't that fast there either. Let's see, we'll go there without expectations and then we can't be so disappointed.” [laughs]

Ivan Nagler: (ITA): “The track actually suits us well. We've done very well over the last few years and have also been relatively fast. We hope it works out that way again and we'll give it our best shot. You can't miss the start here under any circumstances, the start time has to be right. It's a very fast track, so you shouldn't make any mistakes.”

Eduards Sevics-Mikelsevics (LAT): „It is a track that suits us more than any other track. We need to work more on our start, but then we will be fine.“

Ansel Haugsjaa (USA): „We are pretty exiced for Whistler. It is really a big thing for us. It is not our home track, but we have been there a lot for training and we are really excited, especially since family and friends will be there, too. It is more fun than pressure having them watching us. My family is super competitive, so there is always a bit of pressure, but it is fun to have them and experience this together.“

Wolfgang Kindl (AUT): “I'm doing okay, given the circumstances. I'm just hanging in there, because in principle I could have ended the season with these injuries. But I still want to get the best out of it and with painkillers it's going reasonably well, even if we have to cut back a bit in training. We improved a lot in Oberhof during the race, so the podium was really hard-fought.”

Thomas Steu (AUT): “In Whistler, the start is the most important thing because it's an extremely short track and then you have to get down as aerodynamically as possible. Wolfi can't get up to his top level due to his injuries, but thanks to painkillers he's still managing pretty well and we're not thinking about it any further.”

Roberts Plume (LAT): „Whistler is one of those tracks where we are usually fast if we get good runs there. We had some minor problems at the start curve last year and in the upper part, but I think we will manage it and fight for a podium there, too.“

Selina Egle (AUT): “After six wins in a row in the World Cup, we are certainly the favorites for the World Championships, but we take each race on its own merits. Whistler is not necessarily our track now, as we are not the strongest starters, but of course many are already expecting us to be at the top again. I think we've shown in the last few weeks that we've got what it takes and will give our best again.”

Chevonne Forgan (USA): „We are focussing on having fun in Whistler. Having a North America race is very exciting, especially a World Championships. We are looking for some fast starts, some clean runs, and, of course, we always want to be on the podium, but first we have to focus on the basics and make sure everything is going according to plan. “

Anda Upite (LAT): „We once again had some problems in Oberhof, but we hope to find the best solution for Whistler. The World Cup event last year was horrible for me with the crash. I hope that with my new partner Zane [Kaluma] everything will be fine and we can show our best result at the World Championships just like last year.“

Kitija Bogdanova (LAT): „We are expecting to have two solid runs at Whistler. We have never been there before, so we just want to perform our best and enjoy. We already asked the American girls and Jessica Degenhardt what it was like. They said Whister could get boring, but then everything happens at once. We are looking forward to it.“

Andrea Vötter (ITA): “We are in much better shape before the World Championships than at the start of the season, but Oberhof has shown that it is always important to get two runs down well. One is just not enough. The track here in Whistler suits us quite well, we were also able to celebrate our first World Cup victory there. But you can see that everyone has gotten faster and better. We still need to work on our consistency this year.”

Dajana Eitberger (GER): “We raced in the World Cup for the first time last year as women's doubles in Whistler, but World Championships are something completely different, and it's also nice that they take place outside of Europe again. The Canadians have been waiting a long time for this. The 2021 World Championships would normally have been held there, but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It's a bit more relaxed for us, as we don't have the pressure from home and can race a bit more freely. Even if friends and family are traveling with us, it's a completely different atmosphere and I'm looking forward to that. We hope that we can perhaps write a happy ending now. I know that it will be difficult to fight for the medals, but if there's one thing I can say about myself, it's that I'm a fighter and won't give up a podium place reluctantly.”

53rd FIL Luge World Championships in Whistler (CAN)

Local start time (CET/MEZ)

Thursday, February 6, 2025

10:30 (19:30) Mixed Doubles
11:45 (20:45) Mixed Singles

Medal ceremony

Friday, February 7, 2025

14:00 (23:00) Men’s Doubles, 1st run
14:45 (23:45) Women’s Doubles, 1st run
15:40 (00:40) Men’s Doubles, 2nd run
16:20 (01:20) Women’s Doubles, 2nd run

17:20 (02:20) Women’s Singles, 1st run
18:55 (03:55) Women’s Singles, 2nd run

Medal ceremony

Saturday, February 8, 2025

13:45 (22:45) Men’s Singles, 1st run
15:20 (00:20) Men’s Singles, 2nd run
17:00 (02:00) Team Relay

Medal ceremony

Subject to change without notice!