Luge has been part of the Winter Olympics since 1964 and the popularity of the sport has grown significantly over that time, with history to be made at the 2026 Games.
The women's doubles debuts for the first time, meaning there will be five events on the schedule and 15 medals up for grabs.
First Games | 1964 |
Most Gold Medals (Athlete) | 6 - Natalie Geisenberger (Germany) |
Most Gold Medals (Country) | 22 (Germany) |
Most Appearances | Albert Demchenko - Seven between 1992-2014 representing the Unified Team and Russia |
2022 Gold Medal Winners | Men's Singles - Johannes Ludwig (Germany) |
Events
For the first time in Winter Olympics history, there will be five events at the 2026 Games.
Along with the men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and team relay, women’s doubles will be debuting in Italy.
How does Luge work?
Simply put, luge is all about getting from the top of the track down to the finish line at the bottom in the quickest time.
At the start, the athlete, also known as a luger, sits up on the sled, holding two small fixed bars either side and slowly building momentum by rocking forward and back.
When ready to go, the luger flings themselves forwards and immediately starts to paddle at the ice with spiked gloves, designed to gain extra speed, before lying flat on their back with their head slightly raised.
Using their shoulders and calf muscles to steer, the luger then makes their way down the track to the finish line at the bottom, aiming to do this in the fastest time.
In the singles for both men and women, each luger has four runs and the fastest total time determines the medal winners.
In the men's and women's doubles, there are two lugers on the same sled with the heavier person on top. Each pair gets two runs and, again, the fastest total time decides the winner.
The team relay is a slightly different format, with all four previous events included. Each team has a run in the women's singles, men's doubles, men's singles and women's doubles, and in that order.
Once the female luger completes the first leg in the singles, they slap a pad at the bottom which then opens the gate for their teammate, in this case the men's doubles, to begin their run.
When all four events are completed, the team relay is over with the fastest total time determining the winner.
A luger must cross the finish line while on the sled, failure to do so will result in disqualification.
Penalties can also be imposed if a luger is not in the correct position, for example sitting up during the run, or using their hands to steer.
In regards to regulations, there are strict ones that must be abided by. Each athlete is required to wear aerodynamic, skin-tight suits, a helmet with visor and spiked gloves.
The sleds must weigh 21-25kg for the singles and 25-30kg for the doubles, while there are also minimum weight requirements for the luger.
Lighter competitors are allowed to add specific amounts of ballast, such as lead plates, to ensure fairness with the heavier lugers.
2026 Venues
Luge will take place at The Cortina Sliding Centre in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, which was built specifically for the 2026 Winter Olympics,
The track replaces the Eugenio Monti Olympic Track, which sat on the same site from 1923 until its closure in 2008.
The track is named after Italian bobsled legend Eugenio Monti, who won nine World Championship golds and two Olympic golds.
Team GB History
Team GB Athlete with the most medals.
Team GB has never won a medal in luge at the Winter Olympics.
Derek Prentice and Christopher Dyason recorded the best finish at the 1980 Games in Lake Placid, New York when 14th in the men’s doubles.
Facts & Trivia
Germany's Natalie Geisenberger is the most successful luger in Winter Olympics history, picking up six golds and one bronze over four Games from 2010-2022.
Of the 52 gold medals in luge, 38 of those have gone to an athlete from either Germany, East Germany, West Germany or the United Team of Germany.
Italy (7), Austria (6) and the Soviet Union (1) are the only other nations to have won a gold medal in the sport.
Italian luge star Armin Zoggeler is the only athlete in any sport to have won a medal in six consecutive Winter Olympics, doing so from 1994-2014.
Luge is the fastest sport at the Winter Olympics, with athletes reaching speeds over 90mph.
A dead-heat for gold in the men's doubles at the 1972 Games in Sapporo, Japan brought about a change to the sport, with timing done to the thousandth of a second ever since.
