COVID-19 kept the World Cup circuits away from Utah’s speedy luge track for a few years, but the elite competitors returned this past weekend for the Eberspacher World Cup at Utah Olympic Park in Park City.

Lake Placid in New York had hosted the U.S. stop on the World Cup tour in 2017-2019, then the pandemic limited winter sports competitions and travel. 

German squads won three of the five races on Friday and Saturday on the Utah course, home of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, while Emily Sweeney and Brittney Arndt won individual medals for the U.S. women and the U.S. men just missed out on podium finishes in singles and doubles events.

A pair compete in the men’s luge doubles for the World Cup in Park City on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. | Ben B. Braun, Deseret News
Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp race in the World Cup women’s luge doubles in Park City on Dec. 16, 2022.
Austria’s Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp race in the women’s luge doubles competition for the World Cup in Park City on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. | Ben B. Braun, Deseret News
USA’s Zachary Di Gregorio and Sean Hollander race in the men’s luge doubles event for the World Cup in Park City on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. | Ben B. Braun, Deseret News
Romania’s team of Raluca Stramaturaru and Michaela-Carmen Manolescu race in the women’s luge doubles event for the World Cup in Park City on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. | Ben B. Braun, Deseret News
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