CORTINA, Italy — Canadian luger Embyr-Lee Susko delivered a composed and resilient performance at her Olympic debut, finishing 15th overall in women’s singles competition Tuesday at the Cortina Sliding Centre, while teammate Trinity Ellis placed 17th after a challenging four-run event.
Susko, the youngest member of Canada’s Olympic luge squad, emerged as the top Canadian in the field, posting a combined time of 3:33.802 across four runs held over two days on the demanding Italian track. Competing in her first Olympic Games, the 20-year-old showed flashes of top-tier potential while navigating the pressures of the sport’s biggest stage.
“I had a real high yesterday, and a real low, so to be able to come from that and have two really good runs today felt really awesome,” said Susko a legacy baby of the 2010 Games, who began the sport after watching the world slide in her hometown.
Susko opened competition Monday evening with a standout ninth-place run, confidently handling the 15-corner chute that winds through the Dolomites. However, an early skid in her second heat cost her valuable time and dropped her down the standings at the midway mark of the unique four-run Olympic format, where consistency is critical.
Entering Tuesday’s final two runs, Susko shifted her mindset, choosing to refocus on personal performance rather than external expectations.
“I decided today that I wanted to do this for myself,” said Susko, who was 14th in the Olympic Test event in Cortina this fall. “I have realized through this experience there is so much support around the Olympics. It is all positive, but you don’t realize how much it gets to you as an athlete, knowing you have all of these people who don’t normally watch your sport, now watching.
“I think maybe that got to me a bit yesterday, so I decided today was for me. It was my race. I got myself here, with the support of my friends and family, so I was just trying to have fun and enjoy what the Olympics is.”
The adjustment paid dividends. Susko returned to the track focused and determined, delivering two strong runs on Tuesday, both inside the top 15, including a top-10 performance in the final heat. The showing reinforced her reputation as a fast learner with the ability to adapt quickly under pressure.
“It was just a difference in mindset today. I feel really stoked to come back and put two good runs down,” said Susko. “I had some nerves going into the fourth run. I couldn’t put two together yesterday so I was a little nervous, but I just trusted what I can do and made sure to have fun with it.
“I learned (through this experience) that I truly do this sport for me because I love this sport. This has been the best experience of my life. It has been incredible to race in the Olympics in front of friends and family.”
The podium was claimed by Europe’s luge powerhouses. Germany’s Julia Taubitz captured the gold medal with a winning time of 3:30.625. Latvia’s Elina Bota secured silver in 3:31.543, while American Ashley Farquharson earned bronze at 3:31.582.
For Ellis, a two-time Olympian from Pemberton, B.C., the Cortina competition proved frustrating. The 23-year-old struggled to find consistency on the slippery 1,220-metre track and finished two places behind Susko with a total time of 3:34.329.
“I’m definitely disappointed. I had higher expectations than that. It just sucks when you can’t put it together when it counts,” said Ellis, who was 14th at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
Ellis showed signs of promise early, recording the 14th-fastest opening run and closing the event with the 15th-best time in her final descent. However, small errors over multiple runs proved costly in the tightly contested field.
“I think there was definitely some positive steps. I was showing some good things in training, and I feel like I have grown a lot, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me to put four good runs together,” added Ellis.
For Canada, Susko’s top-15 finish signals encouraging momentum from a young athlete gaining valuable Olympic experience, while Ellis will look to build on technical progress as she continues her international career.
