Summer Britcher won the women's Norton seeding race in Lake Placid ©Getty Images

Summer Britcher set a track record at Lake Placid to win the Norton seeding race, which officially started USA Luge's Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic selection period. 

From this event, national team coaches are set to establish a summer training group, which will include up to eight men, six women and five doubles teams. 

Britcher posted a time of 43.878sec, beating Erin Hamlin’s mark of 43.912 she had set two seasons ago in a World Cup race.

Hamlin was exempt from the seeding events by virtue of her 2017 World Championship performances, where she won a gold and two silver medals.

Britcher won the two-heat event with an overall time of 1 min 27.998 sec.

Emily Sweeney took second in 1:28.620, with Raychel Germaine in third in 1:28.926. 

“I feel like everything has really come together for me this week,” said Britcher.

“I’ve been sliding pretty well, feeling really comfortable on the sled.

"It’s not really the ideal time for things to come together.

"It’s sort of after the season is over, but I’m feeling really good out there and I just hope I can carry it into next season.” 

Chris Mazdzer won the men's event in Lake Placid ©Getty Images
Chris Mazdzer won the men's event in Lake Placid ©Getty Images

In the men's race, double Olympian Chris Mazdzer defeated Taylor Morris and Riley Stohr to the podium's top spot. 

Mazdzer was victorious in 1:42.521 while Morris had a second place time of 1:42.747.

Stohr, who was returning from a shoulder injury, took third in 1:42.992. 

Justin Krewson and Andrew Sherk won the doubles race in 1:28.329.

Matt Mortensen and Jayson Terdiman, who were second after the first run, cracked a sled runner coming out of bend seven, ruling them out of the competition.

Jake Hyrn and Anthony Espinoza went on to clinch second place in 1:28.517 with Mortensen and Terdiman dropping to third after they failed to post a second time.