CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — For Italy, it was a double-gold night in doubles luge. And USA Luge made history, just not the kind the Americans have been waiting forever to enjoy.
Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner of Italy rallied in the second heat to win the Olympic men’s doubles gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games on Wednesday night, finishing in 1 minute, 45.086 seconds. That win for the home country came about an hour after Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer won the women’s doubles luge race.
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United States' Zachary Digregorio, right, and Sean Hollander, left, arrive at the finish during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Italy's Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner celebrate as they arrive at the finish during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Italy's gold medalists Emanuel Rieder, right, and Simon Kainzwaldner, left, celebrate as they arrive at the finish during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Italy's gold medalists Emanuel Rieder, left, and Simon Kainzwaldner, right, celebrate as they arrive at the finish during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Germany's Toni Eggert, left, and Florian Mueller, right, slide down the track during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
“No words, I’ve lost my voice now," Rieder said. "I’ve been screaming too much. I’m super happy.”
Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl of Austria were second in 1:45.154 and Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany — the back-to-back-to-back Olympic champions coming into Wednesday — gave up their crown but still medaled, finishing third in 1:45.176.
They won gold in Sochi, Pyeongchang and Beijing, taking every men's doubles gold at the Olympics since Andreas Linger and Wolfgang Linger won the race for Austria at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
For the U.S., Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa — junior world champions two years ago — were the leaders at the midway point of the two-run race, making some Olympic history for USA Luge.
No American sled had ever had the lead in an Olympic race with one run to go; for that matter, no American sled had ever held the lead after any full heat.
But a mistake in the second run doomed their shot at giving USA Luge its first-ever Olympic title, and they finished sixth in 1:45.293.
“We were feeling pretty good. It was just a small mistake ... it was so close in the end,” Mueller said. “To do all that and be sixth, you can’t be so unhappy.”
Zack DiGregorio and Sean Hollander of the U.S. were eighth in 1:45.467. Hollander raced on his 26th birthday.
“It’s tough when you put down two clean race runs, and you expect it to have a little bit more speed," DiGregorio said. "Didn’t find that speed today, but that’s part of the sport.”
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
United States' Zachary Digregorio, right, and Sean Hollander, left, arrive at the finish during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Italy's Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner celebrate as they arrive at the finish during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Italy's gold medalists Emanuel Rieder, right, and Simon Kainzwaldner, left, celebrate as they arrive at the finish during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Italy's gold medalists Emanuel Rieder, left, and Simon Kainzwaldner, right, celebrate as they arrive at the finish during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Germany's Toni Eggert, left, and Florian Mueller, right, slide down the track during a men's doubles luge run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
A group of Buddhist monks arrived in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, completing a 15-week peace pilgrimage from Texas marked by quiet, single-file walks, a growing social media following and crowds gathering along their route. Escorted across the Chain Bridge into the capital, the saffron-robed monks and their rescue dog, Aloka, have drawn national attention with their message of mindfulness, healing and unity.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Bhikkhu Pannakara walks over flowers near the Peace Monument on Capitol Hill, during the Walk For Peace, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Buddhist monks walk near the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill, during the Walk For Peace, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
People gather to watch the Buddhist monks as they walk outside of the Washington National Cathedral after an event during the Walk For Peace, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
People wait for the arrival of the Buddhist monks near the Peace Monument on Capitol Hill, during the Walk for Peace, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb., 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
With the Capitol in the background, Bhikkhu Pannakara, center, leads his fellow Buddhist monks near the Peace Monument on Capitol Hill, during the Walk for Peace, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb., 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. , left, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., right, greet Buddhist monks as they walk near the Peace Monument on Capitol Hill, during the Walk for Peace, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb., 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Buddhist monks walk near the Peace Monument on Capitol Hill, during the Walk For Peace, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
FILE - Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," in Saluda, S.C., Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce, File)
Monk Bhikkhu Pannakara speaks during an event at Washington National Cathedral with his fellow Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Buddhist monks sit in Washington National Cathedral during an event with monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Buddhist monks sit in Washington National Cathedral during an event with monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Monk Bhikkhu Pannakara, front, and his fellow Buddhist monks leave after an event at Washington National Cathedral to mark their Walk For Peace, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Buddhist monks walk outside of the Washington National Cathedral after and event they participated during the Walk For Peace, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Spectators watch as Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace walk through a neighborhood on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Monk Bhikkhu Pannakara waves to the crowd as he walks along with Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace walk through a the streets of Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Monk Bhikkhu Pannakara waves as Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace walk through a neighborhood on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Venerable Buddhist monks cross the 9th Street bridge during a walk for peace into downtown Richmond, Va., Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
FILE - A woman reacts as Buddhist monks on a "Walk for Peace" walk past on Veterans Parkway in Fayetteville, Ga., Dec. 29, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP File)
FILEW - Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," in Saluda, S.C., Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
FILE - Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, in Saluda, S.C., Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce, File)
FILE - Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," in Saluda, S.C., Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce, File)
FILE - Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," in Saluda, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
FILE - Buddhist monk Panna Kara pets Aloka as he and other monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, who are undertaking a 2,300 mile pilgrimage of "Walk for Peace," attend a welcome ceremony at Hong Kong City Mall in Houston, Nov. 14, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP File)
Aloka, a companion dog with Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace, sits during an event at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Monk Bhikkhu Pannakara walks along with Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace walk through a the streets of Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
People holding flowers watch the Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace walk through a the streets of Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk For Peace walk through a the streets of Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
FILE - Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks while they participate in the, "Walk For Peace," in Saluda, S.C., Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce, File)
