“Oh, it was pretty cold, but I think that kind of, like, pumped me up,” said Fern Battin of Peru, who won the women’s Youth A race, for athletes up to age 17. The 14-year-old slid to a two-run combined time down the twisting, icy track of 1 minute, 35.067 seconds.

Luge is just one of two Olympic sports measured to a single thousandth of a second, and Battin won the race, almost one full second ahead of the second-place finisher, Olivia Perry of Rome. The 14-year-old completed her two runs in 1:36.00, while Sara Stefanides of West Chester, Pensylvania, 15, finished in the bronze medal spot. She recorded a two-heat time of 1:36.023.

Not only did the athletes brave the cold, but about 30 fans, family and friends gathered in the track’s finish area to cheer on the athletes.

Jenni Evans watched from the sidelines in a thick coat and mittens, waiting for her 12-year-old son and first-time competitor, Isaac Evans of Saranac Lake, to cross the finish line.

Spencer Tucker-Jones slides down the track during the luge races on Friday at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid. (Provided photo — Isaac Williams/The Newhouse School)

“It’s something he was interested in, and it’s something he enjoys doing,” Jenni said. “So as a parent, one of my roles is to support him in his activities.”

Evans finished seventh in the Men’s Youth B Race, for athletes up to age 15, in 1:44.940.

Maxim Zayonc of Lake Placid won the men’s Youth A crown in a total time of 1:32.180. The 13-year-old clocked the race’s two best times, 46.005 seconds and 46.175.

William Roberts of Holliston, Massachusetts, 13, and Samuel Hazell of Medway, Massachusetts, 15, won the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Roberts posted an overall finish time of 1:35.221, while Hazell’s bronze medal time was recorded in 1:35.442.

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Cross-country skiing

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Light snow and temperatures in the teens made for ideal conditions as the Dewey Mountain Recreational Center, in Saranac Lake, hosted the opening evening of the ESWG cross-country ski racing.

Jameson May, 14, who has only been skiing for two years and was participating in his first ESWG, won the Male U16 2.5K Freestyle sprint event skiing past eight other competitors in a time of 7 minutes, 49.1 seconds.

May has so far enjoyed his time in Lake Placid and looks forward to finishing his competition this weekend despite the extreme cold temperatures forecast.

“I’m a little sad I can’t race on Sunday because of the temperature,” he said. “But I’m excited to race in the 5K.”

Mark Fenstermacher finished in second place. The 14-year-old completed the course in 8:21.6.

Miles Bornt, 14, claimed the event’s bronze medal in a time of 8:22.3.

Ella Bard of Saranac Lake, who was also making her ESWG debut won the Female U10 2.5K Freestyle sprint race. The 7-year-old out raced eight other skiers in a time of 3:25.0.

Bard has experience with the Dewey Mountain course as she practiced every Tuesday and Thursday leading up to the Games.

“It was fun racing against other people,” Bard said.

Kit Armendola, 10, won silver in a time of 3:27.9, while Adelaide Kaercher won the bronze. The 10-year old finished the winding course in 3:39.6.

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Biathlon

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Garry Brackett delivered a standout performance, winning the ESWG gold medal during Thursday’s Masters division (60-69) Individual Relay biathlon relay race held at Mount Van Hoevenberg.

The 65-year-old completed the three-lap race, with two shooting stages, in a time of 23 minutes, 56.5 seconds. At each shoot stage, racers shot at five targets, at a distance of 50-meters. Brackett missed just one shot, coming in the first round.

Brian Doolley, 62, won the event’s silver medal. Missing just one shot in his first stage, Dooley finished in a time of 27:15.2.

The race’s bronze medal was awarded to Richard Sloman. Sloman, 67, skied the course in 31:58.6 with just two missed shots, both coming in his second attempt.

Eli Walker, 55, claimed the first-place finish in the men’s masters (50-59) race. He clocked a race time of 24:38.2, missing only two second round shots. The silver medal went to Lis Edwards of Lake Placid, 58, who finished in 26:53.9. Edwards missed one shot in the first round and two in the second.

Craig Wiggers emerged as the bronze medalist. The 55-year-old stopped the clock in 45:48.5 and missed four shots total, two in each round.

Figure skating

Jamestown Figure Skating Club athletes delivered standout performances on the opening night of the ESWG. Tatiana Perebeinos earned bronze in the junior women’s event, while teammate Nora Petscher captured silver in novice women’s singles.

Perebeinos’ program featured a series of double rotation jumps to include a double loop, double lutz and double flip, en route to a final score of 28.31 points by the panel of five judges.

Lilyann Hewitt, from the Skaneateles Figure Skating Club, won the competition’s gold medal, with 61.97 points, and Annabelle Hattori, who skated for the Genesee Figure Skating Club, won silver. Her final score was 37.46.

Petscher won the novice women’s singles silver medal with a final score of 59.75. A triple salchow and a combination double axel and single toe loop highlighted her performance.

Annabelle McKenzie, from the Skating Club of New York, captured the event’s gold medal. Skating the competition’s most technical program, which featured a double lutz, double toe loop and double loop jump combination, she earned 65.93 points from the judges.

The bronze medal was awarded to Skate Canada’s Rose Artelle. The panel of judges awarded her 54.96 points after she completed her program that featured one triple jump combination and two double jump combinations.

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Intermediate women’s figure skating

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Shea Burns, from the Skating Club of Western New York, and Emilija Peel, who’s skating for the Genesee Figure Skating Club, captured the ESWG Intermediate Women’s figure skating gold and bronze medals, respectively, day.

Burns, 13, executed intermediate jump combinations, spins and consistent deep-edged footwork, earning 54.79 points from the five watchful judges. A double lutz, double loop and double toe loop highlighted her jump combination, while executing an almost flawless flying sit spin.

Peel, 14, opened her performance’s jumping routine with a double lutz, double loop, into a single axel sequence and completed her program with a final score of 45.93. She also executed three double jumps, a double axel, double salchow and double flip.

Elle Beauchamp, from the Skating Club of New York, won the silver medal. She finished her program with a final score of 47.84 points.

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Winter triathlon

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On a brisk and sunny morning at Mount Van Hoevenberg the USA Triathlon Winter National Championships were held.

Athletes from across the country ran a snowy 5K, followed by an 8K fat-tire bike ride and finished their race with a 10K cross-country ski.

Stephen Eles took first place not just in his age category of males aged 45-49, but for the race overall. Eles finished the morning with an official time of 1 hour, 10 minutes, 48 seconds, two gold medals around his neck and a new title of 2026 USA Winter Triathlon National Champion.

Adam Holomoucky, 26, was second overall with a time of 1:14:07. He was followed closely by Thomas Woods, 25, who finished in 1:15:31, and in third place.

Ginger Reiner, 48, earned herself a women’s national title, crossing the finish line first out of her age group and all female triathletes. Reiner finished with a time of 1:24:52.

The silver medal went to Anna Milkowski, 51, who had a final time of 1:26:24. Kristie Morton, 39, rounded out the women’s podium with a time of 1:27:47.

Suzy Mink was the first-place finisher for females ages 70-74 despite never having competed in the event before. She described the race environment as almost Olympic.

“It’s so encouraging,” Mink said. “The minute I got the email about USA Triathlon doing this race, I was like ‘I’m there.’ It’s Lake Placid. I have to go do this.”

Both Eles and Reiner also placed first in the duathlon race, which took place later this afternoon. Eles finished in 49:16 and Reiner in 58:59.

National championship winners qualified for the 2027 Winter World Championships.