OLYMPICS: Single off the ice, U.S. doubles luger Kirkby is looking for love

U.S. women's doubles luger Sophia Kirkby is making her Olympic debut at the Milano-Cortina Games while on the hunt for love, sharing her journey as the “Games’ Most Eligible Bachelorette” from the Olympic village. The 24-year-old Lake Placid athlete will compete alongside Chevonne Forgan in the first-ever women’s doubles luge event.

REUTERS

February 2, 2026

FILE PHOTO: U.S. athletes Chevonne Chelsea Forgan and Sophia Kirkby compete in the Women's Doubles at the FIL Luge World Championships in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, on February 7, 2025.

Jennifer Gauthier/File Photo/Reuters

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy – U.S. women’s doubles luger Sophia Kirkby is single and looking for love as she prepares for the biggest date of her sporting career: her Olympic debut at this month’s Milano Cortina Games.

Kirkby has taken to Instagram to declare herself a contender for the "Games’ Most Eligible Bachelorette" and to shed light on the dating scene in the Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympic Village.

The 24-year-old from Lake Placid is competing in women’s doubles luge for the first time in Olympic history. Off the track, she is also a potter with more than 5,700 Instagram followers, promoting her handmade pins, cappuccino cups, and ceramics while keeping an eye out for romance. Valentine’s Day, falling on February 14, comes during the Olympic period.

"I finish racing on the 12th, and I’m looking for a Valentine’s date," Kirkby posted on Instagram Sunday.

"I’m not just looking to other Olympians to grab a cappuccino. I’ll have my dating profiles active, and I’m open to grabbing a coffee with you, the fans. See you in Cortina."

In an earlier post, Kirkby declared she is "ready to slay."

"I’ll be single during the Games, so I’ll bring you behind the scenes of what it’s like dating as an elite athlete while living the wildest schedule of my life," she said last month. "Watch me try to find dates, go on beautiful little adventures, and maybe… accidentally meet the love of my life."

Kirkby, whose late father James was a bobsledder with the U.S. Air Force, will partner with 25-year-old Chevonne Forgan. The pair ranked third in the world at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Doubles luge requires the shorter athlete to lie on the bottom of the sled, with the taller athlete on top, both facing up with feet forward for aerodynamic advantage. Known as the fastest sport on ice, singles competitors can reach speeds of up to 145 kph (90 mph).

The doubles luge events are scheduled for February 11, with a team relay set for the following day. -Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris/Reuters