USA Luge athlete Summer Britcher (Provided photo — USA Luge)

LAKE PLACID — It was Jan. 10, and the U.S. luge athletes at the Zoom press conference had just made the Olympic team — but they were far from celebratory. Except for some laughs and jokes from Summer Britcher, the mood was weary.

“This has definitely been a very tough year,” Britcher said.

“I definitely felt better going into the games in 2018,” fellow third-time Olympian Tucker West said.

Britcher and West grew up in Pennsylvania and Connecticut, respectively, but live in Lake Placid. USA Luge is based here, so all American lugers spend time here to train, but some rent or buy homes in the community.

The U.S. luge team has proven itself greater than the sum of its parts. Their best event in general, and the only one Americans have medaled in this World Cup season, is the team relay, consisting of one woman, one man and one men’s doubles pair.

USA Luge athlete Tucker West (Provided photo — USA Luge)

Fourth-time Olympian Chris Mazdzer, who grew up in Saranac Lake and now lives in Salt Lake City, said in a separate interview that the Americans’ “awesome team” will give them a leg up at these pandemic-era Olympics, when athletes won’t have family or friends or much social interaction.

“We all get along, we’re all there for each other, so I think it’s advantage us,” he said.

That bond was forged through endurance. Their litany of difficulties this year ranges from athletic to personal to geopolitical. Injuries have plagued several of them, including Britcher, Mazdzer and Emily Sweeney. Jonny Gustafson had to borrow a sled when his was detained in China for weeks. Sweeney had to sit out three races because the U.S. Army, of which she is a member, wouldn’t let her compete in Russia. Mazdzer has been worn down physically by doing both doubles and singles sliding, and emotionally by going five months with only one visit with his wife and baby son. Pandemic-prompted isolation has been hard on everyone, but North Americans also lost their home races when the International Luge Federation moved U.S. and Canada events to Europe for the second year in a row. And the competition between teammates for Olympic selection got tense with a race-off between three men’s doubles pairs.

Also, while Britcher and Sweeney have performed pretty well, the U.S. men have posted disappointing results.

“There were days in the last quad (four-year Olympic cycle) where a good run is definitely medal potential, and now, we’re shooting for top 15,” West said. “But I don’t think it’s over yet. It just means there’s more work to be done before we get to China. We’re working every night in the sled room and just trying to put together a lot of things to get to that point where we are competitive again. I don’t feel bad going in. I feel ready.”

USA Luge athlete Ashley Farquharson (Provided photo — USA Luge)

They would need an out-of-nowhere performance to medal, but that’s been done before. Mazder slid to silver four years ago after struggling all season.

Mazdzer said West “is one of the most driven people I’ve ever met. He keeps you very honest. His alarm goes off, his feet hit the ground a couple seconds later, he’s in the shower. It doesn’t matter the time of day; he’s ready to go. He’s always consistent, he’s always working out, he’s always making you be at your best.”

Meanwhile, Gustafson, of Massena, “brings a really good sense of humor to everything,” Mazdzer said.

Australian slider Alex Ferlazzo travels with the Americans and is “part of the team,” Mazdzer said. “He’ll be staying with the Australians (at the Olympics), and we’re like, ‘Hey man, if we find an extra room next to ours, we’re bringing you into Team USA house, because you’re a part of us.’ He really rounds out the men’s team. He’s just a fun guy, and he goes for it.”

Mazdzer said it’s taken several years to reach this point of camaraderie, where teammates who compete against each other are also close friends.

“We’re good at hyping each other up to go for it,” he said. “We’re also really good at being there for each other when you don’t reach the results you were hoping for.

“It takes a lot to bring us down.”

Nevertheless, for 22-year-old Ashley Farquharson of Utah, her first Olympics will be very different from what she dreamed about.

“It does suck. I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” she said. “But I have my peace with it. It’s not like it’s over for me.”