Luge’s most important weekend of the year got underway Thursday, with the world championships opening on the track in Whistler, Canada, that was used for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.It’s a big deal. It’s also a big reminder of what’s next.For the Americans, the goal is to win medals this weekend — and they have realistic chances to do so in no fewer than three events. But it’s also clear that eyes and minds are starting to drift toward February 2026, when the next Olympic sliding races are held in either Italy (if a track gets built) or on USA Luge’s home track in Lake Placid, New York.“The Olympics is my focus,” three-time women’s singles Olympic slider Summer Britcher said. “It has been my focus for a long time. But I don’t view it as a distraction from other races like world championships or World Cups. I view it as in collaboration with them. Every World Cup and world championships is an opportunity to see how things are trending, to work on our equipment, to work on racing well. And it’s all building towards the Olympics.”As always, Germany is the nation to catch — 44 medals so far in World Cup races this season are the most of any nation, six more t …
