Ashley Farquharson celebrated her Olympic success in luge during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics on Tuesday.
The American athlete was visibly moved when she checked the scoreboard and realized she had secured her first Olympic medal. Her performance in the women’s singles event made her the second U.S. competitor to earn a medal in this category.
Farquharson got her start in skating as a childhood after-school activity in Park City, Utah, and she expressed disbelief at her achievement.
“It just felt surreal,” she reflected post-victory. “Then they all met me on the ice, and the whirlwind that followed has made our bond even stronger. Coming up the outrun, for a few seconds I thought, ‘That’s not real.’”
In the women’s luge competition, Germany’s Julia Taubitz took home the gold by a remarkable margin, finishing nearly a second faster than anyone else. Latvia’s Elena Botha secured second place, matching her country’s best Olympic finish to date.
Before Farquharson’s medal win, the last American to earn bronze in luge was Erin Hamlin, who accomplished that at the 2014 Sochi Games.
Taubitz shared, “This was my dream. And now that dream has come true.”
Farquharson had competed in 54 World Cup races without medaling until this season, when she finally broke through.
Though she may not have been the fastest, she proved to be more than capable. Now, as an Olympic medalist, her potential can’t be doubted.
“I’m very happy for Ashley and I’m very happy for USA Luge,” said Emily Fischnerer, a long-time teammate. “It’s us on the sled, but we have a team behind us that does everything we do. This is a testament to all the effort everyone put into it.”
Luge involves athletes laying on a sled and racing down an icy track at incredible speeds. In this event, Fischnaller faced challenges during the final heat, resulting in a drop from fifth to twelfth place among Americans, clocking a time of 3:33.035. Summer Britcher, a four-time Olympian and recent World Cup race winner, finished fourteenth with a time of 3:33.553.
