WHISTLER, B.C. — Kailey Allen and Beattie Podulsky admit they're still learning.
After each starting their luge careers in singles, the duo made the move to women's doubles, and found a solid partnership this season.
But every change comes with a learning curve.
“This is completely new, a whole new sport to me," said 19-year-old Podulsky, who moved from the bottom position to the top this year.
Working with Allen helps because she's such a good communicator, she added.
"When it gets hard, we're working through that instead of yelling or anything," Podulsky said. "So it’s definitely been a change, but honestly, one for the better.
"I'm enjoying it. I love turning an individual sport into a team sport.”
Allen, 21, has been searching for the right partner over the past few seasons and likes what her latest match has brought to the sled.
"Beattie has been the best," she said. "It's a lot of fun competing in an individual sport together, going down the track together."
The duo, who both hail from Calgary, competed in their first world cups as a team in January, then raced in their first world championships together in Whistler, B.C., on Friday. They finished eighth among the 12 sleds from nine nations and captured bronze in the under-23 category.
The second and final run Friday showcased their strengths as a pair, Allen said.
"This past run, I'm just like, ‘Oh, we got it! Good start!’ That kind of thing, because you can hear me down the track," she said. "And I love just reassuring her, as we go through the corners that we’ve got it, we're good, on line and stuff.”
When Podulsky and Allen have questions, they know they've got a valuable resource in teammate Caitlin Nash.
The 21-year-old from Whistler began her career in doubles and won Canada's first medal in the discipline — a bronze at a world cup stop in Park City, Utah, in December 2022.
When her doubles partner, Natalie Corless, decided to step away from the sport in favour of going to school, Nash opted to return to the singles sled.
“It was a pretty complicated decision for me, to be honest with you. I sort of came up doing doubles and singles, but had this really cool and unique opportunity to try doubles and sort of pioneer that at a very young age," she explained.
Nash had opportunities to try other doubles partnerships, but couldn't fathom working with another athlete in the same way.
“I really felt like if there was one person that I sort of wanted to go all the way with, it was always going to be (Corless)," she said. "And I sort of felt like without her, I wasn't really at that time wanting to sort of restart and build a new partnership.”
Singles has brought its own unique challenges, Nash said, particularly when it comes to experience.
While she's still in her early 20s, many of the women she's competing against are in their early-to-mid 30s and have been on the world cup circuit for many seasons.
Nash got some valuable experience Friday, competing at a world championship on her home track. She placed 16th in front of family and friends, just over half a second behind gold medallist Julia Taubitz of Germany.
Moving from doubles to singles hasn't been seamless, but it's been for the best, Nash said.
“Sometimes at points, I sort of questioned whether or not I was making the right decision,:" she said. "But I think I'm happy now that I chose sort of to stick with singles. And I feel like this year I've kind of started to finally feel like I have some confidence in that decision.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
