Canadian lugers Allan, Podulsky to make history in Olympic debut of women's doubles

On their first day of a get-to-know-you summer trip together, Kailey Allan saw Beattie Podulsky get scared by a spider web and fall down a hill.

The Calgarians will be the first women representing Canada in women's doubles luge, making its Olympic debut at the Cortina Sliding Centre in Italy. Women's doubles Wednesday is a two-run event.

Allan, 22, and Podulsky, 20, didn't know each other well before they slid down a track together for the first time in October of 2024.

They tried to develop chemistry and communication on the fly in their inaugural season as a duo.

The women decided to work on those elements of their partnership by taking a trip together last summer to New Zealand, where they drove around and lived in a van for two weeks.

"She touches a spider web on a fence, she falls down a hill, and then she rips open her Croc on a nail, her sock, and cut her toe on the first day we were there," Allan recalled. "I was barely even out of the van, and I just saw her tumble down the hill."

Explained Podulsky: "I got scared. I wanted to pet the cows, so I pulled over, and I touched the fence and there was a spider web, and I went 'ah!' and I cut my toe on some random metal thing, and I ripped my sock and my Croc."

Nothing like a moment of physical comedy to see each other in a new light.

"We definitely improved our communication skills," Allan said.

Women's doubles made its world championship debut in 2022. Doubles was previously open to both male and female athletes, but only men ever competed in it since luge became an Olympic sport in 1964.

"I'm glad that we get to be the first ones to do it and get to show our faces and show that it is capable for women to do doubles," Podulsky said. "It's definitely harder than