Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024: How to watch luge at the 2024 YOG

Gangwon 2024, the fourth Winter Youth Olympic Games and the first to be held in Asia, is fast approaching.

The South Korean province, which also hosted the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, welcomes the world's best young athletes in January 2024.

Every winter Olympic sport, including luge, is on the programme. Discover all the essentials you need to know about the sport at Gangwon 2024 as we begin the countdown towards the Opening Ceremony on 19 January 2024.

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Luge at Gangwon 2024: Schedule and venue

Several PyeongChang 2018 venues will be re-used for Gangwon 2024.

The Alpensia Sliding Centre, which hosted luge during PyeongChang 2018 and saw Natalie Geisenberger and David Gleirscher take the women's and men's titles respectively, will be repurposed for Gangwon 2024.

The Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 are set to take place from 19 January–1 February 2024, with the medal events in luge scheduled for 20, 21 and 23 January.

Luge at Gangwon 2024: Events and format

There are five luge events at Gangwon 2024:

• Women's singles
• Men's singles
• Women's doubles
• Men's doubles
• Team relay

Luge is often referred to as the "fastest Winter Olympic sport" with youth competitors reaching speeds of up to 125 km/h. For this reason, the sport is measured to the 1000th of a second.

The aim is simple: Lying on their back with feet facing down the track, athletes must get their sled from the top of the course to the finish line in the fastest time possible, using subtle leg and body movement to change direction.

The singles events consist of two runs, with the fastest combined time winning.

In the doubles event follows the same format, with the larger of the two lugers lying on top to create better aerodynamics. The top athlete also steers the sled, while the bottom athlete corrects any mistakes

The team relay consists of one women’s sled, one men’s sled and a double’s sled. It's exciting to watch as it uses a continuous clock, meaning the next sled is only able to start its run once the rider before them has touched a pad at the finish line.

How to qualify for luge at Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games

The total quota of participating athletes is limited to 100 lugers. This means 20 male and 20 female singles and 15 male and 15 female doubles.

All athletes must have competed in at least three races in either the Continental Cup, Youth A World Cup, Junior World Cup or General Class World Cup during the pre-Olympic (2022/2023) and Youth Olympic seasons (1 October 2023 to 10 December 2023).

During these two competition periods, the athletes or doubles duos must have scored at least ten World Cup points in the Continental Cup, Youth A World Cup, Junior World Cup or World Cup in the General Class races.

At least one of these races must have taken place during the 2023/2024 Youth Olympic Season by 10 December 2023.

All competitors must have been born between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2009.

For more details on luge qualification at Gangwon 2024, click here.

Winter Youth Olympic Games luge – previous stars

David Gleirscher, the men's singles Olympic champion and mixed team bronze medallist from PyeongChang 2018, first burst onto the luge scene at the Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

The Austrian went on to be part of the victorious mixed team at the 2021 World Championships, and also took home bronze medals in the sprint and the men's singles.

His compatriot, Madeleine Egle won the women's singles at the Lillehammer 2016 YOG, before winning singles silver at the 2022 European Games.

Her best performances as a senior, however, have come in the team relay, where she helped Austria win gold at the 2021 World Championships, and silver at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The men's singles winner from Lillehammer 2016, Kristers Aparjods, has also excelled on the senior stage, winning singles silver and helping Latvia to team relay gold at the 2022 European Championships.

Elsewhere, he was part of the Latvia team that won silver at the 2020 World Championships and bronze at Beijing 2022.

Finally, USA's Summer Britcher and Tucker West were part of the team relay gold medal-winning team at Innsbruck 2012, before helping their nation to bronze in the same event at the 2020 World Championships, alongside PyeongChang 2018 men's singles silver medallist Chris Mazdzer.

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