CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Summer Britcher loved the joke.
The USA Luge veteran, about to compete in her fourth Olympics, went viral last weekend — in the sliding community, anyway. Even better, it happened without Britcher actually doing anything for her newfound fame.
Such is the power of NBC's "Saturday Night Live.”
SNL's Jane Wickline portrayed a luge athlete named Gertie Burper in a skit that essentially was a faux Olympics promo. It centered around three athletes; one was a snowboarder and another was a figure skater, both portrayed in the typical we're-ready-to-compete way.
Then came Burper, a tall, lean woman who just happened to be racing on a yellow sled, which isn't exactly a common color in luge. Britcher is tall, lean and, you guessed it, races on a yellow sled. The everyday SNL viewer probably didn't make the connection. Those who know Britcher got it almost immediately.
“I thought it was so funny," said Britcher, who has seven career singles races wins on the World Cup circuit, making her USA Luge's all-time victory leader. “I had no idea it was coming. My boyfriend sent it to me and as I was watching it, just more and more of the details stood out. And I was like, ‘Hey, hang on a second.’”
That's when she knew she was being parodied. She's been laughing about it ever since.
Much of the Burper character was built around the fact that her body type had the perfect height-weight distribution needed to be fast on a sled. Britcher seemed to particularly like that line — “I’m flattered to have a body that has the perfect shape,” she said Friday with a laugh, clearly just hamming it up over SNL's notion.
To be clear, Britcher — a 31-year-old from Glen Rock, Pennsylvania — does not think that “a corpse that's my same shape could win,” despite Burper claiming that would be the case in the SNL skit. She has never faked an illness and needed to be pushed down the start ramp by a coach while protesting. And no, Britcher does not “confuse and ultimately silence” her survival instinct by popping a bunch of pills before races.
But as tends to be the case with good humor, there was a bit of truth in there. There have been times when Britcher — to use another of Burper's lines — has hated “the thing I'm good at.” Then again, that's pretty common for sliders. Luge frustrates everyone at times, even the best in the world.
If the SNL skit gets more eyeballs on the Olympics, Britcher is all for it. Luge, particularly doubles luge, has been the butt of jokes for as long as anyone can remember. But if the joke is well-done, Britcher sees a lot of good in that.
“I think it’s so fun," Britcher said. “It’s fun that they’re getting a little more creative with the jokes and the coverage of luge. So, that’s exciting. I hope it got more people interested in the sport and maybe they’ll tune in and watch."
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
USA's Summer Britcher starts for a women's Luge training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 6, 2026--
Terra Firma Energy is pleased to announce a strong operational performance across its Wrexham and Droitwich flexible generation sites, marking the completion of their first full 12 months of commercial operation.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206393153/en/
Over the past year, the two assets delivered more than 24,000 MWh of electricity into the UK power system, supporting both wholesale markets and the Balancing Mechanism. This flexible, responsive capacity has played a vital role during periods of high demand and system stress, helping to maintain grid stability. In practical terms, this output is equivalent to powering approximately 6,700 UK homes for a year.
Performance momentum has continued into 2026, with both sites delivering critical generation during an exceptionally cold start to the year. This has further underlined the importance of reliable, dispatchable assets in supporting the UK’s energy security during periods of heightened demand.
Looking ahead, Terra Firma Energy expects this strong operational performance to continue. With a significant weather front forecast to arrive later this month, bringing the potential for widespread snowfall and increased system tightness, the company’s assets remain well positioned to provide essential support to the national grid.
Across its development portfolio, progress also remains robust. Construction at the Hereford and Wingrave sites continues to advance, with civil works at Hereford now nearing completion, a key milestone on the path to full delivery.
Commenting on the update, Zach Dodds-Brown, Development Director, Terra Firma Energy said:
“The past 12 months have demonstrated the strength of our assets, our operating model, and our team. Wrexham and Droitwich have proven their value in supporting the UK power system, and we remain focused on delivering reliable, flexible capacity as the energy transition continues.”
Overall, the last year has reinforced Terra Firma Energy’s role as a dependable provider of flexible generation, supporting system resilience and contributing to the UK’s evolving energy landscape.
About Terra Firma Energy
Terra Firma Energy constructs, owns, and operates flexible generation assets across the UK, providing reliable and responsive power to support grid stability and energy security. The company is focused on developing and operating high-quality infrastructure to meet the needs of a changing energy system.
Although one of Terra Firma Energy's smaller sites, the 5MW plant located at Droitwich Spa, UK still plays a vital role providing immediate responsive capacity. This site combined with Terra Firma Energy's larger Wrexham based site has this year produced output equivalent to powering approximately 6,700 UK homes for a year.
Terra Firma Energy's 20MW flexible generation plant in Miners Road, Wrexham UK has now been successfully operational for 12 months providing essential stability to the UK's electricity grid. This site along with Terra Firma Energy's other UK developed assets play an essential role in supporting the UK’s energy security during periods of heightened demand.
