Team USA Luger Sophia Kirkby Turns the Olympic Village Into “DM season” — and She’s Already Booked Valentine’s Dates

If you thought the Olympic Village was all strict schedules and protein shakes, Team USA luger Sophia Kirkby is here to remind everyone it’s also a social experiment — and her Instagram DMs are the scoreboard.

Kirkby, 24, has been leaning into a playful “most eligible bachelorette” bit during the 2026 Winter Olympics buildup, posting a video teasing she’d show followers “the inside life of an Olympian dating at the Olympics.” The premise is simple: she’s single, she’s in Italy, and once racing is done, she’s open to meeting people — fellow athletes or fans.

Predictably, the internet didn’t hesitate.

Within a few days in the Village, Kirkby’s inbox reportedly hit 600 messages, and she told followers she suddenly had “so many contenders” to sort through. That’s not just flirting-as-content — it’s a logistics problem. She’s said she plans to start going on dates after competition wraps (Feb. 12) and already had two dates lined up for Feb. 14, with the door open for more if her schedule allows.

The sports angle matters here, too: Kirkby is competing in women’s doubles luge at an Olympics where the discipline is newly in the spotlight, and she’s also acknowledged the reality of athlete life — intense schedules, constant travel, and the “good luck finding a consistent dating pool” challenge back home.

And because she understands what fans actually want, she even ran an Instagram poll asking whether people wanted an update on what’s happening in her DMs. (Translation: yes, this is performance art, and yes, it’s working.)

If you want the full “DM review” angle, here’s the original write-up: Us Weekly.

One more note for anyone thinking about shooting their shot: Kirkby’s also been pretty clear about the red flags — sloppy first-date energy, disrespect, ex talk, and anything that screams “immature.” Olympic standards, basically.