Three Canadian Luge Athletes Slide into Top 15 at Olympic Test Event
CORTINA, Ita.—One of the youngest members of Canada’s luge squad led a trio of sleds into the top 15 at the Olympic Test Event in Cortina, Italy on Saturday to open the 2025-26 season.
Embyr-Lee Susko, of Whistler, B.C., slid to a 14th place finish on the flowy 15-corner track for the fastest women on ice. Trinity Ellis (Whistler, B.C.) was 15th in women’s singles. Calgary’s Kailey Allan and Beattie Podulsky matched Ellis’ finish in women’s doubles.
The 20-year-old Susko steadily improved throughout her training week on the 1,220-metre icy chute that winds through the Italian Dolomites, and that was no different on race day. Sitting in 14th after her first rip down the track, Susko clocked the 12th-fastest time in the second run to hold her position in the overall standings with a combined time of 1:46.91.
“I’m really happy with my first race of the year here in Cortina,” said Susko. “I’m really liking the flow of this track and I’m stoked that I was able to pull together two clean runs for race day.”
The lone Olympian on the young Canadian Luge Team – Trinity Ellis – finished one spot back of her teammate at 1:47.00.
The final member of the Whistler, B.C.women’s trio, Caitlin Nash, was close behind, stopping the clock at 1:47.26 for 18th place.
The Germans grabbed the top two spots on the women’s singles podium. Merle Fraebel snagged the gold with a time of 1:45.771. Julia Taubitz was second at 1:45.86. Austria’s Lisa Schulte rounded out the podium in third at 1:46.07.
Canada’s newly formed women’s doubles team of Kailey Allan and Beattie Podulsky also showed steady progress in their first international race together outside of Canada. The Calgary-based duo were 15th overall at 1:49.46 after posting the 15th and 12th fastest runs in their two heats.
Germany’s Dajana Eiterger and Magdalena Matschina took the gold at 1:46.41.
In men’s doubles racing, Canada’s lone sled of Devin Wardrope and Cole Zajanski did not qualify for the second run with the top-20, placing 22nd.
Complete Results:
The Olympic Test Event wrap up on Sunday in Cortina with the men’s singles race followed by the Team Relay.
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