CURATOR CORNER: March 2024
Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, which highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. Today, we will look at the history of luge and the Olympians that paved the way for future female athletes. 

Luge: The Fastest Winter Sport 

Going down an icy track feet first, lugers lay on their backs on a small sled. Racing at speeds between 74 mph to 90 mph, athletes compete for the fastest cumulative time. To steer the sled down the course, athletes use their legs to apply pressure on one of the sled runners or shift their weight with their shoulders. 

Doubles luge involves both sliders being in tune with each other. Since the top slider has a better view of the course, they “control most of the steering…to initiate a turn, the top athlete uses head motions to signal upcoming curves to the bottom driver, who can steer harder because they are in contact with the sled” (USA Today Sports).  

History of Luge 

The history of luge dates back to the 16th century in Switzerland, however, the first international race did not occur until 1883 in Davos, Switzerland. Contestants from Australia, England, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland raced down an icy 4km (2.4 miles) road between Davos and Klosters. Luge debuted at the Olympic Winter Games 81 years later at the 1964 Games in Innsbruck, Austria, and included three events: a doubles event, a men’s single event, and a women’s single event.  

Women in Luge 

Ortrun Enderlein: From East Germany, Orton Enderlein became the first female Olympic champion in luge. She stood out amongst the other 13 competitors at the 1964 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria, by recording the fastest times on each run. Her times for each race included 51.13 seconds for the first run, 51.12 seconds for the second run, 50.87 seconds for the third run, and 51.55 seconds for the final run. Enderlein later became a two-time World Champion in 1965 and 1967.

Vera Zozula, right, at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY. Image provided from the Lake Placid Olympic Museum Collection
Vera Zozula, right, at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY. Image provided from the Lake Placid Olympic Museum Collection.

Vera Zozula: Although competing for the Soviet Union at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, Vera Zozula made history as the first Latvian athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. She was one of the athletes to break the strong German winning streak in 1980 and later competed at the 1984 Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, placing fifth. Her competition resume is impressive:

  • World Luge Championships: gold in 1978, silver in 1977, and bronze in 1981. 
  • European Luge Championships: gold in 1976 and bronze in 1978. 
  • Luge World Cup Title: 1981-1982 
  • Soviet Titles: 1975-1976 and 1978 

In 1978, she was selected as the Latvian Athlete of the Year and was later inducted into the International Luge Federation Hall of Fame in 2006.  

Anne Abernathy: Anne Abernathy is a five-time Olympian who represented the U.S. Virgin Islands in women’s luge. She made her debut at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada, and went on to compete at the 1992, 1994, 1998, and 2002 Winter Games. Abernathy was 34 years old when she competed in Calgary and became the oldest competitor in the history of the Olympic Winter Games when she competed in Salt Lake City at the age of 48. When asked about her achievements by the Seattle Times, Abernathy said,  

“I realized age shouldn’t have anything to do with it. Enjoy yourself, and don’t let age limit you. They tell me I broke the barriers for Olympic athletes to stay longer. I changed the way people thought about the Games once, just as “Games for youth. Everybody has the capacity of being young at heart.”  

Although Abernathy retired from luge without any medals, she remains one of the most well-known female competitors in luge. 

Dinah Browne: Dinah Browne made history as the first Black woman to compete in luge at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, Browne acknowledged that  

“There is pressure when you’re the first. You don’t want to let anybody down, and that’s pressure. But it is mind-blowing to me to think that I’m a first” (NY Times).  

Browne was part of the small group of athletes representing the Virgin Islands. The eight athletes in this delegation competed in the luge and the bobsleigh events. Going into the 2002 Winter Games, Browne was recovering from a hand injury and left the Games in 28th place in the women’s singles event.  

The Future of Women’s Luge 

The upcoming Olympic Winter Games in 2026 in Milano-Cortina, Italy, is set to become the most gender-balanced, with 47% female and 53% male competitors. With that historic milestone also comes more events for women, such as doubles luge. Although doubles luge has previously been open to men and women, no women ever competed in this event at the Winter Games. In the summer of 2022, the International Olympic Committee announced that doubles luge would be separated into different events for men and women for the first time. The addition of the women’s doubles event provides female athletes with an additional medal opportunity and allows them the freedom to explore an event that provides them with a team experience. German World Champion Jessica Degenhardt stated: 

 “I think the IOC’s decision is great because it means that many young female athletes now have the chance to achieve two Olympic medals and don’t have to focus only on their individual careers. But it is also an important step in the direction of equal rights for men and women, and that is why I think it is important and right that this decision was made this way.” 

 The 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy will take place between February 6th- 22nd and the Paralympic Winter Games will take place between March 6th – 15th.  

  

Resources: 

Written by Julia Herman