CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The race for the medals in men's singles luge might already be down to three sliders. Germany’s Max Langenhan finished his two runs in 1 minute, 45.826 seconds on Saturday,

The nail-biting sport continues to be a Winter Olympics favorite, but its massive speed and high intensity action can be treacherous.

Extreme Velocity: Luge is officially the fastest sport in the Winter Olympics, with competitors routinely exceeding speeds of 145 km/h (90 mph). The world record for top speed on a luge sled is an astonishing 154 km/h (95.7 mph), set at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

Get up to speed with this handy guide to the fastest sport on ice.

The title for the fastest sport at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics belongs to luge. USA Luge is in pursuit of its first Olympic gold medal.

At a glance, the common ground between the motorsports realm of NASCAR and the winter sport of luge should seem small. Then again, after a season-opening exhibition race for the stock-car crowd that faced snow and ice this past week,

Summer Britcher, a USA Luge veteran, found herself the subject of a "Saturday Night Live" skit. The skit featured a character named Gertie Burper, a luge athlete with a striking resemblance to Britcher.

Germany is expected to once again dominate the medal count in luge, but the U.S. could pull off a surprise or two, especially in the women's events.

Host Alexander Skarsgård plays a Milan Cortina-bound coach who's just trying to get his athlete to get on a sled.

Team USA athletes with Maryland connections are competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, highlighting the state’s contributions to sliding sports and sled hockey.