Park City's Farquharson takes historic bronze in Cortina

Ashley Farquharson delivered a historic result for Team USA with a bronze medal in women's singles luge competition.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Ashley Farquharson, a luge athlete from Park City, Utah, won a bronze medal in the women's singles luge competition at the 2026 Cortina Olympics. This is the second-ever medal for the United States in women's singles luge, following Erin Hamlin's bronze in 2014. Farquharson's historic result makes her the third American to medal in singles luge, after Chris Mazdzer's silver in 2018.

Why it matters

Farquharson's bronze medal is a significant achievement for the U.S. luge program, which has struggled to find success in the women's singles event. Her performance helps raise the profile of the sport in the United States and could inspire more youth participation in luge through programs like the Youth Sports Alliance's after-school luge program that Farquharson started with at age 11.

The details

Farquharson finished third behind Germany's Julia Taubitz, who won gold, and Latvia's Elina Bota, who took silver. Farquharson posted a combined time of 2:38.673. She had a strong third run that moved her up from fifth place after the first two runs on Monday. Farquharson said she was motivated by her teammates and the support of the Park City community through the Youth Sports Alliance and Wasatch Luge Club.

  • Farquharson began sliding at age 11 through the Youth Sports Alliance's after-school luge program.
  • On Tuesday, Farquharson won the bronze medal in the women's singles luge competition at the 2026 Cortina Olympics.

The players

Ashley Farquharson

A luge athlete from Park City, Utah, who won the bronze medal in the women's singles luge competition at the 2026 Cortina Olympics.

Julia Taubitz

A German luge athlete who won the gold medal in the women's singles luge competition at the 2026 Cortina Olympics.

Elina Bota

A Latvian luge athlete who won the silver medal in the women's singles luge competition at the 2026 Cortina Olympics.

Erin Hamlin

An American luge athlete who won the bronze medal in the women's singles luge competition at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the first-ever medal for the United States in this event.

Chris Mazdzer

An American luge athlete who won the silver medal in the men's singles luge competition at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.

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What they’re saying

“Wow, it really didn't feel real.”

— Ashley Farquharson (Park Record)

“I messed up yesterday, pretty bad. I hit at the bottom, and I was kind of like, 'Oh, it must be over.' And then I was only in fifth, and if I can have a mistake like that and still be in fifth, I got nothing to worry about.”

— Ashley Farquharson (Park Record)

“Honestly, my biggest inspirations are my teammates, because I work so closely with them, and I see how much work that they put in and dedication that it takes. I'm always emulating them, trying to be flatter and more relaxed and smoother in curves.”

— Ashley Farquharson (Park Record)

“We were so excited with that third run. To be honest, I wasn't even nervous until the fourth run started. I just wanted her to have a clean and fast fourth run.”

— Ben Farquharson, Ashley's father (Park Record)

“It was bouncing back and forth — red, green, red, green. I think my heart stopped every time the screen changed. It was quite emotional, quite exciting, and honestly the best lead race I've ever seen in my entire life.”

— Ben Farquharson, Ashley's father (Park Record)

What’s next

Farquharson said she would be back for another medal in the team relay event on Thursday.

The takeaway

Farquharson's historic bronze medal performance in the women's singles luge competition at the 2026 Cortina Olympics highlights the growth and potential of the U.S. luge program, and could inspire more youth participation in the sport through community-based programs like the one that first introduced Farquharson to the sport.