The U.S. luge team poses for a photo at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland - Team USA's Reannyn Weiler and Maya Chan are taking part in history Saturday at the Winter Youth Olympic Games, participating in the first-ever women's doubles luge event on an Olympic program.
Along with women's doubles luge, other events debuting in the third edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games include women's Nordic combined and ski mountaineering.
For Weiler and Chan, who have been teaming up in doubles for three seasons, being part of such a historical day for their sport is something incredibly special.
"I think it's pretty exciting," Chan said. "In the future, hopefully, when there's other women's doubles teams they'll be like, 'Wow, Maya and Reannyn, they're the first ones to do it.' I think it's pretty cool that one day there will be others looking up to us."
For Weiler, who had the honor of carrying the American flag at the Opening Ceremony in St. Moritz, Switzerland, is hopeful that the addition of women's doubles luge on an Olympic program helps move the needle for female involvement in their sport.
"I think it's also really good because it will give more opportunity to involve girls in this sport and to move up through our team as well," Weiler said. "Hopefully we'll be able to carry more girls on the team, which will be good."
As if the cherry on top of an already monumental day, the competition is taking place on Olympia Bob Run in St. Moritz, which was the host of the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympic Games.
“It’s a unique opportunity to come here, because for luge, we don’t come here often," Weiler said. "It’s more often a bobsled track so we rarely get to come here. It’s a unique experience that most of our teammates won’t be able to have.”
Competing against 10 other women's doubles teams, the pair will take to the historic track on Saturday, beginning their first of two runs at 11 a.m. local time.
"There are a few things here and there that we really need to concentrate on, but a majority of our practice runs have been clean, so I think we know we can go fast to the bottom," Weiler said. "On race day, we need to put it together and hopefully it will work out."