Emily Sweeney took bronze at the world luge championships, becoming the second American to claim multiple singles medals in worlds history.
Sweeney, a 31-year-old, two-time Olympian, led after the first of two runs in Whistler, Canada, on Friday evening.
She was passed by Germans Julia Taubitz and Merle Fräbel in the second and final run.
Germany won four of the five gold medals in Olympic program events at worlds, one year after Austria became the first nation to outperform Germany at worlds since 1996. Germany put two sleds on every individual singles and doubles podium, plus won the team relay.
Taubitz, who has won gold or silver at the last six worlds, prevailed by 41 thousandths of a second over Fräbel combining times from both runs in women’s singles.
Sweeney was two thousandths behind Fräbel. Video of Sweeney’s final run is here.
“Obviously, when you’re first after the first run, you want to see that one when you cross the finish line, but I’m really happy to walk away with a medal,” she said.
Sweeney, who also won bronze in 2019, joined 2009 World champion Erin Hamlin as the only Americans to win multiple singles medals in world championships history. Wendel Suckow, the 1993 men’s world champion, is the only other American to make one singles podium.
Sweeney nearly made the 2010 Olympics (in Whistler) at age 16, losing a race-off to older sister Megan for the last spot on the team. She was in the early running for the 2014 Olympic team before missing out.
She made her Olympic debut in 2018 and crashed, fracturing her neck and back and dealing with depression in the aftermath. Sweeney crashed again at the Olympics in 2022.
“I know I gave it my all and I know my team believes that too,” she posted on social media after those Games. “While that brings me a great feeling of peace, missing out on the opportunity that only comes once every four years stings with just as much force.”
Sweeney missed the January 2023 World Championships due to her neck, then underwent shoulder surgery in June 2023. This season, she posted second- and third-place finishes on the World Cup.
“I can walk away from the season feeling pretty good,” she said. “I’m so proud of my starts. I’ve never been a fast starter. My whole story of my whole career has been she’s a great slider, but she’s slow on the start, and I changed that this year, and I’m really proud of that, and I put together some solid races. I feel like I have a lot of the pieces coming together.”
Sweeney is engaged to Dominik Fischnaller, the top Italian men’s luger and a 2022 Olympic bronze medalist. They’re planning to move into a house in Italy, the 2026 Olympic host nation.
In men’s singles German Max Langenhan repeated as world champion, edging 2010 and 2014 Olympic gold medalist Felix Loch by 135 thousandths.
Loch, 35, earned an 11th career world medal in the singles event, tying the record held by another German, Georg Hackl.
In men’s doubles, Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz made their first world podium a golden one, adding their names to Germany’s long list of champions.
Orlamünder and Gubitz, both 25, prevailed by .102 over Latvians Martins Bots and Roberts Plume.
Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt, winners of the last three Olympics, took bronze for their 11th career world medal in the event.
Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa were the top Americans in seventh.
Austrians Selina Egle and Lara Kipp repeated as world champions in women’s doubles, which makes its Olympic debut next year.
Egle and Kipp, both 22, saw their lead fall to two thousandths of a second at the last intermediate split of their second and final run.
Six seconds later, they had won by 29 thousandths over Germans Jessica Degenhardt and Cheyenne Rosenthal. Another German sled took bronze with Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina.
Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby were the top Americans in fifth. Forgan and Kirkby are two-time world bronze medalists and won the only World Cup this season that Egle and Kipp didn’t win.
NBC Sports’ Dan Meyer contributed to this report from Whistler.
FIL World Luge Championships 2025 Results
Women’s Singles
Gold: Julia Taubitz (GER) -- 1:17.206
Silver: Marle Fraebel (GER) -- +.041
Bronze: Emily Sweeney (USA) -- +.043
6. Ashley Farquharson (USA) — +.147
10. Summer Britcher (USA) — +.260
22. Emma Erickson (USA)
Men’s Singles
Gold: Max Langenhan (GER) — 1:39.922
Silver: Felix Loch (GER) -- +.135
Bronze: Nico Gleirscher (AUT) -- +.222
8. Jonny Gustafson (USA) -- +.619
12. Tucker West (USA) -- +.977
Women’s Doubles
Gold: Selina Egle/Lara Michaela Kipp (AUT) -- 1:17.724
Silver: Jessica Degenhardt/Cheyenne Rosenthal (GER) -- +.029
Bronze: Dajana Eitberger/Magdalena Matschina (GER) -- +.060
5. Chevonne Forgan/Sophia Kirkby (USA) -- +.244
DNF. Maya Chan/Sophia Gordon (USA)
Men’s Doubles
Gold: Hannes Orlamünder/Paul Gubitz (GER) -- 1:16.538
Silver: Martins Bots/Roberts Plume (LAT) -- +.102
Bronze: Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (GER) -- +.133
7. Marcus Mueller/Ansel Haugsjaa (USA) -- +.318
10. Zack DiGregorio/Sean Hollander (USA) -- +.516
Mixed Relay
Gold: Germany -- 2:50.361
Silver: Austria -- +.131
Bronze: Canada -- +1.280
4. USA -- +1.593
