MILAN — In a move designed to boost the level of interest from viewers and athletes alike, the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics introduced an exciting new event in the Septuple Luge competition.
The new event, which features seven athletes stacked on top of one another (as opposed to the traditional single or two-person luge events), was expected to add multiple new dimensions of difficulty and artistry to the Winter Games.
"It's way better than two, because seven is five more than 2," said NBC Olympic luge commentator Leigh Diffey. "The IOC figured if people were excited to watch two men stacked on each other like pancakes, why not make it an even taller stack of pancakes. It creates a much more unpredictable sport. You should see what happens when they have a wreck. Bodies flying everywhere. It's really something."
U.S. Olympic luge athlete Logan Barnes welcomed the challenge of the new event. "You feel like the deck is stacked against you, no pun intended," he said. "The singles luge is challenging enough. You add another man in a skin-tight suit lying on top of you for a doubles event, and it's twice as difficult. Now, with six other men piled onto a luge like a roast beef sandwich, well… you never know what might happen."
As of Wednesday, no team from any nation had successfully completed a run in the Septuple Luge with all team members still intact.
At publishing time, Barnes had asked the U.S. luge team's coaches not to have him be on the bottom anymore.
Coming soon to a Democrat-controlled city near you!
