Suffield Patch reported earlier this week about Emily Sweeney's win in the 2013 Junior Women's Luge World Championship.
Emily was traveling as we published that story, but she had a chance to respond to some questions yesterday.
Patch: What was it like to win the gold in this competition?
Emily: It was pretty exciting winning gold at Junior World Championships. I've competed in this competition for the past five years on various tracks and this was my last shot at it. I was looking forward to having this race on American soil ever since we heard it was going to be in Park City. Most of our races are held in Europe, mainly Germany, so having Junior Worlds in America was a big deal for us. There was a lot of pressure on me to win because I had been racing on the World Cup circuit and won two junior races on that track last year. When I came up the outrun on my second run and saw I had won I think I was more relieved than anything.
Patch: What is the next challenge for you?
Emily: I had a couple of days off after the race, but now I'm back on the World Cup circuit again which I'm very happy about. Right now I'm in Whistler, Canada, for World Championships in a week. After that I have a World Cup in Lake Placid, New York, that I'm super excited about because it's my home track. I'll end my competitive season on the 2014 Olympic track in Sochi, Russia, for the World Cup test event. This will be the first international luge race on that track so it's a pretty big deal for us.
Patch: What would you like to say to your supporters back home in Suffield?
Emily: The support I got leading up to and after Junior Worlds was incredible. My phone was blowing up after the race from friends and family, and it really made the win that much better. I had a challenging start to the season with injuries and was struggling a little at one point, but having everyone reach out to me after this race reminded me why I do what I do. I owe so much to the people who support me, and all I can really do for now is say thank you to everyone and hopefully I can make you proud!
