After a dramatic final run in the men's doubles luge event, Italy's Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner took gold on Wednesday to complete an Italian sweep of the men's and women's events. Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer won the women's competition just before the men's final run. 

MEN'S DOUBLES RESULTS

The Italians' win ended legendary German pairing Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt's bid for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the event, as the "Two Tobis" took bronze.

Only 0.090 seconds separated the entire podium as Austrians Thomas Steu and Wolfgang Kindl took silver. 

Emanuel Rieder, Andrea Voetter, Marion Oberhofer, Simon Kainzwaldner
Emanuel Rieder, Andrea Voetter, Marion Oberhofer and Simon Kainzwaldner celebrate with their national flag after sweeping gold in the men's and women's doubles luge events.
Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images

In one of the biggest stories of the event, Olympic debutants Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa of the United States looked poised to massively upset the men’s doubles field when they set a track record and took the lead by 0.003 seconds after Run 1. 

Mueller and Haugsjaa went last on the final run, and were over a tenth of a second ahead of the field before a blip in the final corners added two tenths to their time and landed them in 6th place in the end.

Mueller told reporters at Cortina Sliding Centre that he and Haugsjaa were happy with 6th but "definitely crushed" by how their second run ended.

"It was so close in the end. To do all that and be 6th, you can't be so unhappy," the 20-year-old from Brookfield, Wisconsin, said. "We were in medal position. Crushed, but also still happy."

Marcus Mueller pumps his fist after Run 1
Marcus Mueller (USA) pumps his fist after he and teammate Ansel Haugsjaa set a track record and ended Run 1 in 1st place.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

The 21-year-old Haugsjaa added that the pair are confident they can build off their debut showing. 

"The speed is there. We now need to find this consistency for ourselves and find this speed everywhere," Haugsjaa told reporters. "It's not the last you're going to see of us. We're going to keep pushing."

Racing on home ice, Italy wins first-ever women's doubles gold

Women’s doubles luge officially debuted as an Olympic event on Wednesday, with home heroes Voetter and Oberhofer upsetting the Austrian favorites and winning  gold for Italy. It is Italy’s first luge gold medal since Lillehammer 1994, where they won both the women’s singles and the men’s doubles events.

WOMEN'S DOUBLES RESULTS

Germany’s Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina took the silver medal, 0.120 seconds behind Voetter and Oberhofer.

Rounding out the first women’s doubles podium were the current World Cup leaders Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp from Austria in third.

The six athletes on the women's doubles luge podium
Gold medalists Marion Oberhofer and Andrea Voetter (ITA), silver medalists Magdalena Matschina and Dajana Eitberger (GER) and bronze medalists Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp (AUT) celebrate after competing in the women's doubles Run 2.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Americans Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby were first in the starting order and thus became a part of history as the first women’s doubles duo to ever complete an Olympic run. 

“It was just incredible," Forgan told reporters. "We feel so lucky, and we’re so proud of ourselves to make it here and with such an amazing group of women. It's been super special.”

Forgan and Kirkby were fifth fastest heading into the final run and stayed that way after a brush with the wall on Run 2. The two will return to Cortina Sliding Centre on Thursday, Feb. 12, for the luge team relay.

Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby wave to fans
Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby (USA) wave to fans after completing the first-ever Olympic women's doubles luge run.
Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Still to come in luge

The team relay will be the final luge event contested at the Milan Cortina Games. The start time is set for 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Germany has taken gold in all three iterations of the event since it debuted at Sochi 2014. Competing on the U.S. team will be singles bronze medalist Ashley Farquharson, Jonny Gustafson, Forgan/Kirkby and Mueller/Haugsjaa.

Winter Olympics: Luge Live Streaming Schedule
(all times Eastern, subject to change)
Date/Time Event Stream
Thurs, 2/12
12:30-1:45p
Luge Team Relay 🏅 Peacock, NBCOlympics.com