THEn an hour that will remain engraved in the history of Italian sportItaly has literally monopolized the podium Milan Cortina 2026conquering two gold medals in double luge: first in women’s (Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer) and, immediately after, in the masculine (Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner). But how does this discipline that seems to challenge the laws of physics and coexistence work? Here are the secrets of what is, to all intents and purposes, the fastest “double” in the world.
A question of trust (and millimetres)
In double sledding, it’s not enough to be fast: you have to be one body. Two athletes lie on top of each other on a sled weighing less than 30kg, hurtling through an ice tube at over 130 km/h. The athlete in front is the “pilot”: he has the best view (so to speak, given that he is almost horizontal) and drives with the pressure of his calves and shoulders. What is below, however, is the “navigator”: he sees almost nothing, but has to follow every slightest movement of his partner, balancing his weight to maintain the perfect trajectory.
Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer sledding as a couple at Milano Cortina 2026 (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
Perfect synchrony: the secret of Italy’s success
Italy’s strength in this specialty lies in tradition and team chemistry. Each curve generates a devastating force of gravity (up to 5G); at that moment, if the two athletes are not perfectly synchronized, the sled loses grip or, worse, overturns. “It’s like dancing a tango at breakneck speed,” athletes often say. There is no time to talk: communication occurs through physical contact and the memory of movements tried thousands of times in training.
Our double sledding queens: Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer
The women’s gold is a piece of history because the women’s doubles debuts in this edition of the Games. Andrea Votter (30 years old) is the veteran of the group, in her fourth Olympics, but for her partner Marion Oberhofer (25 years old) this is the very first time. Marion was not at Beijing 2022 and experienced the debut of her dreams: «Winning gold at my first Olympics, at home, is something I still can’t explain», she said emotionally at the finish line. A couple born recently but who immediately found perfect chemistry. Their secret? A total complicity: they spend more time together than with their respective families.
Ice veterans: Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner
Soon after it was the turn of Emanuel Rieder (32 years old) and Simon Kainzwaldner (31). They are the “senators” of the group: they have been racing together all their lives and after sixth place in Beijing 2022 they were looking for career redemption. Winning gold on home soil, after chasing this dream for yearsit was the perfect culmination. They are an example of how consistency pays off: they shaved off tenths of a second for years, curve after curve, until they became unbeatable at the very moment that mattered most.
Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner on the Cortina track (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Double luge, a historic victory for women at Milano Cortina 2026
Gold in women’s doubles has a special flavor: this discipline is entered the Olympic program only from this edition of Milano Cortina 2026and seeing the Italian team triumph at home confirms the excellence of our school. While the men reaffirmed a historical supremacy, the girls demonstrated that double sledding is a matter of sensitivity and surgical precisionbringing Italy to the top of the world in an unforgettable “golden hour” for Cortina fans.
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