Italy win inaugural Olympic luge women's doubles gold

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Italy's Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer react at the finish line of the women's doubles first round competition of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Cortina Sliding Center. Robert Michael/dpa

Italian duo Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer zoomed to victory in the inaugural Olympics luge women's doubles on Wednesday, picking up a third gold so far for the hosts.

While women could theoretically have competed in doubles at previous Winter Games given it was an open category, no female luger did.

A women's doubles was introduced to this year's Olympics to achieve equality, having already existed in world championships and World Cups. Eleven sleds all from different nations took part, with none of the women from Tuesday's individual final won by Germany's Julia Taubitz competing.

The Italians led after the first run thanks to a start record and ended up with a combined 1 minute 46.284 seconds after the second and final run.

German pair Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina took silver, 0.120 back, and Austrian world champions Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp placed third.

The men's doubles competition concludes later on Wednesday. US duo Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa surprisingly lead after a track record in the first run, with six-times Olympic champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt only fifth in a tightly packed field.

The German pair have three straight doubles golds and three successive team relay golds at Winter Games.

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Italy's Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer race down the track during the women's doubles first round competition of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. Michael Kappeler/dpa

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