Different Jerseys, Same Love in Luge for Dominik and Emily Fischnaller

In Luge, the fastest among the three sliding sports, athletes race head-first and feet-first down an icy track on a small sled at extremely high speeds.

Different Jerseys, Same Love in Luge for Dominik and Emily Fischnaller

Dominik and Emily Fischnaller (Images via Team USA/@dominikfisch on Instagram

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Dominik and Emily Fischnaller are returning to the Winter Olympics, their first as a married couple. A bit unconventional, if one may, Dominik clad in the Italian hues, while his wife Emily will be representing Uncle Sam.

The 2022 PyeongChang bronze medalist Dominik first met his now-wife Emily in Winterberg, Germany, almost a decade and a half ago. The pair, both from luge families, decided to start dating over the distance of their sport, despite initial skepticism. Eventually, they tied the knot on May 2, 2025, in a private ceremony.

Dominik Fischnaller started his Olympic journey as a 20-year-old twelve years ago in Sochi. After a mind-boggling third run, he placed seventh. In PyeongChang, he came so close to making the podium before a 0.002 seconds put him in fourth place. After two Olympics, he realised his dreams at Beijing, where he earned a well-deserved bronze, becoming the first Italian to place in the event since Armin Zöggeler in 2014.

Heading into his home games, Dominik would be looking forward to a higher color. However, competing in his fourth games, the former European champion has his mind set on achieving more than just a medal this time. He wants to have as much fun with his wife while competing in different teams.

I want to enjoy this more than I did in other Olympics. Then, I was just focused on sliding, sliding, sliding. I didn’t really experience the atmosphere or anything. I hope this will be different for me this time and Emily is for sure a big part of that.

Meanwhile, Emily has a bigger storyline. In her maiden Olympics, eight years ago at PyeongChang, Emily crashed on Curve 9 of the Alpensia track after catching too much air during entry onto the corner. She was later revealed to have suffered a broken neck and several back fractures. She has since recovered and made strides to reach her current standing.

After a solid year with multiple World Champs medals, she’s proven she can’t be written off. Emily had placed silver in the Mixed Doubles and bronze in the Women’s Singles at the FIL World Luge Championships last year in Whistler, British Columbia. Now, she’s gunning for some medals at her almost-home Olympics.

Martins Bots and Elina Bota headline Latvia’s luge lovestory

Dominik and Emily Fischnaller aren’t the only married couples in luge at the Milan and Cortina D’Ampezzo Games. Latvian sliders, Martins Bots and Elina Bota, have been married since 2024.

Latvian lugers Martins Bots and Elina Bota (Image via Instagram/@elinaieva)
Latvian lugers Martins Bots and Elina Bota (Image via Instagram/@elinaieva)

Martins Bots and Elina Bota have represented Latvia at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Elina competed in the women’s singles event, where she placed 18th. She secured a berth in the same event for the upcoming games after a strong performance in the qualification.

At the Beijing Olympics, he represented the Baltic nation in both the team relay and men’s doubles. He missed out on a podium in mixed doubles, finishing fourth while winning bronze in the team event. At Cortina D’Ampezzo, Bots will be returning to action in men’s doubles with his long-time partner Roberts Plume. The Latvian team has also qualified for the team relay.

There are a few more power duos in the Olympics. US alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin will be joined by her Norwegian partner, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. The USA also has another duo in Kaysha Love and Hunter Powell. Kim Meylemans of Belgium and Brazil’s Nicole Rocha Silveira are wives, as are Hilary Knight and Brittany Bowe.

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