Team Canada Opens 2025 Luge World Champs with Three, Top-12 Finishes in New Race Formats

WHISTLER, B.C.—Team Canada was first out of the gate to pilot two new mixed gender race formats on home ice at the 2025 FIL Luge World Championships in Whistler, B.C.

All three Canadian sleds finished in the top 12. Canada’s double-double team of Devin Wardrope and Cole Zajanski along with Beattie Podulsky and Kailey Allan finished eighth in the morning mixed doubles race with a time of 1:23.923. 

Austria’s Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl, along with Selina Egle and Lara Kipp won the doubles race with a golden time of 1:22.894.

Canada’s two mixed singles teams finished in the middle of the 21-sled field. Dylan Morse and Trinity Ellis teamed up for 11th spot, while Theo Downey and Embyr-Lee Susko placed 12th.

“I was super stoked to be a part of this first ever mixed event at a World Championships,” said Susko, who grew up sliding on the Whistler track. “It was really fun, and I really appreciate the crowd that has come out. I’ve never seen this many people trackside in Whistler. It just warms your heart to see this many people.”

The mixed sliding events both include teams of one men’s sled and one women’s sled. Each sled takes a one-run bomb down the track where they hit a paddle hanging over the finish line signaling the track is clear for their teammate to start at the top. The times for each of the two sleds are combined to determine the final result time. The race is action-packed and puts an emphasis on start reaction time.

“The mixed events are now my favourite events since they introduced it,” said Downey. “It is so high octane, like a mini team relay. It packs so much action into a minute and a half. I had a good run overall, but I know there is still lots of room to improve for the men’s races coming up. I’m so excited for that.”

Both Canadian singles teams enjoyed a lengthy stay in the leader’s box, bettering the first nine teams.

Canada’s lone Olympian, Trinity Ellis (Pemberton, B.C.) joined forces with Calgary’s Dylan Morse to clock a time of 1:23.268. Embyr-Lee Susko and Theo Downey (Calgary) were 12th at 1:23.299.

Germany’s Max Langenhan and Julia Taubitz were crowned World Champions in the mixed singles format with a time of 1:22.354. 

Jonathan Gustafson and Emily Sweeney (United States) were second at 1:22.449. Austria’s David Gleirscher and Madeleine Egle celebrated the bronze medal with a time of 1:22.678.

The 16-corner track at the Whistler Sliding Centre was lined with thousands of fans from local school groups to international tourists catching the fastest athletes on ice while enjoying a unique version of Après Ski at the famed Blackcomb Mountain. 

“Sliding in front of all those people today was amazing,” said Downey. “Sliding up the outrun and seeing my friends and family holding pictures of my face was crazy. It was awesome.”

The hype is sure to grow throughout the weekend.

Whistler’s highly popular “The Hairfarmers” performing live on February 7 and 8, in addition to local food favourites and the Gibbons Beer Garden taking over the middle of the track viewing area is sure to attractlocals and tourists alike. 

The festivities will slide into a new level on Friday when the men’s and women’s doubles races kick things off at 2 p.m. PST. Canada will then send four sleds to the start line for the women’s singles races starting at 5:20 p.m. PST. 

All races are streamed live in Canada on www.cbc.ca. The women’s singles race will also be featured on CBC Sports, February 8, at 3 p.m. ET. A complete broadcast schedule can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/streaming-schedule?sport=Luge ;

The Canadian Luge Association is a not-for-profit organization responsible for governing the sport of luge across the country. With the financial backing of from the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium, the Canadian Luge Association safely recruits and develops the nation’s current and future high-performance luge athletes with the goal of regularly climbing onto the international podium. For more information on the Canadian Luge Association, please visit us at www.luge.ca on the Internet.