LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — Ansel Haugsjaa and Chevonne Forgan went to the Olympics last winter as doubles sliders. They did just fine on their own in the season's opening race.
Haugsjaa and Forgan pulled off rare feats by claiming titles in both singles and doubles races at USA Luge's national start championships, which are considered the unofficial start of the team's competitive season.
It was a night for doubles sliders to shine. Haugsjaa took the
men's singles crown, then paired with Olympic teammate Marcus Mueller — who was second in the singles race, tied with fellow doubles specialist Zack DiGregorio — for their second national men's doubles start title in the last three years. Forgan claimed the women's singles title, before joining her Olympic teammate Sophia Kirkby to successfully defend their doubles start title.
“Showing up first and second in the singles race, we were feeling good going into doubles,” Haugsjaa said. “I was shocked by how comfortable and easy it felt going back on the doubles sled after doing singles. Felt like I was right back at home, so it was really nice.”
Mueller and Haugsjaa, who were world champions at the junior level, led the Olympic doubles race at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy in February, before a mistake in the second run sent them to a sixth-place finish.
Their success in singles on Friday doesn't have them thinking about trying those races more often.
“I think we're going to stick with doubles,” Mueller said. “We made that decision a few years ago, to stick with doubles because we thought we can do a lot better. And with how close it was in these recent Olympics, I think we're really going to go for gold.”
Same goes for Forgan, whose singles win seemed to catch her by surprise.
“Singles is scary,” Forgan said. “Singles definitely poses interesting challenges.”
A slew of past champions and Olympic veterans were not in Friday's race. Tucker West, a 13-time national start champion, retired after last season. Olympic women's singles racer Summer Britcher did not slide while recovering from injury, and longtime U.S. team member and Olympic veteran Emily Fischnaller has not revealed her future plans.
The World Cup season starts Nov. 28-29 in Winterberg, Germany.
___
See AP’s full sports coverage here
