Emily Sweeney (luger)

Emily Carolyn Sweeney (born November 28, 1993) is an American luger.[3] She is the sister of fellow luger Megan Sweeney.[4]

Emily Sweeney
Sgt Sweeney in 2017
Personal information
Full nameEmily Carolyn Sweeney
NationalityAmerican
Born (1993-03-16) March 16, 1993[1]
Portland, Maine, U.S.[2]
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Weight59 kg (130 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportLuge
Event(s)Singles
ClubU.S. Army
Medal record
World Championships
2019 WinterbergSingles
Emily Sweeney at the World Cup in Altenberg, Germany in February 2017

Military career

According to Sweeney, she was inspired to join the Army National Guard by hearing her grandfather, Jack Sweeney, tell stories about his time serving in the Navy. She enlisted as a military policewoman and attended basic training and advanced individual training at the US Army Military Police School on Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. She graduated with honors. After initial training, she joined the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. She served in the New York Army National Guard with the 206th Military Police Company and the Joint-Force Headquarters in New York.

Luge career

During the 2009 World Cup season, Sweeney became Junior World Luge Champion and took bronze medals at the Junior World Cup at Winterberg, Germany and a gold medal at Park City, Utah.[5]

In December 2015, during World Cup competition on their home track in Lake Placid, Sweeney and teammates Erin Hamlin and Summer Britcher swept the field. It marked the first time the U.S. women knocked out the dominant German team.

On November 26, 2017, she won her first World Cup gold medal in the sprint race at Winterberg.[6]

Emily Sweeney was selected as a member of the 2018 USA Olympic Team.[1][7] At the Pyongchang Games, her first Olympics, Sweeney crashed on her final run, losing control at turn 12 of the Alpensia track after "(catching) a good amount of air" when entering the corner. The fractures she suffered were figured out some days later.[8]

References
  1. Emily Sweeney. pyeongchang2018.com
  2. Emily Sweeney. teamusa.org
  3. "USA luger slides to best finish". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  4. "Megan Sweeney". Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  5. "Luge athlete Sgt. Emily Sweeney perseveres through heartache, injury to compete in 2018 Olympics". www.army.mil. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  6. "Americans Sweeney, Britcher go 1–2 in luge". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  7. Emily Sweeney. armymwr.com
  8. "From broken to bronze: Sweeney overcomes major luge crash". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
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