World Cup in Whistler: Gold rush in Canada: tobogganing team celebrates medals

One year before the Olympics, the German toboggan team with the new national coach Patric Leitner passed the first test test with distinction. At the World Championships in Whistler Canadian, the team around the one-man title supporters Julia Taubitz and Max Langenhan in almost scary manner made the medal-wearing full: five gold, four times silver, three bronze and Felix Lochs record for eternity-“There is nothing more “, said Leitner, himself Olympic champion and world champion.

New national coach, old successes

“A mega -horny team performance, I’m happy and am happy – I can’t remember that we were so successful in Whistler,” said the 47 -year -old Leitner. 15 years ago he had won bronze at the Olympics in Canada in his last double-seater race. The four -time world champion from long -time national coach Norbert Loch has been the four -time world champion since summer. The 62-year-old had said goodbye after 119 World Cup and Olympic medals so that Leitner can find his new role in the pre-Olympic winter. Now the bar for the games in Italy will be up for the coming February. The first World Cup under Leitner’s management was expected with some fear, Austria with Germany’s tobogganing legend Georg Hackl as a trainer for driving and sledding technology had proven to be a strong opponent during the course of the season.

Competition revives the business

But at the World Championships, the previous second row suddenly sled down into the spotlight. The 26-year-old Hannes Orlamünder and Paul Gubitz, a double-seater couple since 2011, won surprise gold, the record Olympic champion Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt won bronze. The later record toboggan Loch could not qualify for the mixed relay. This is not yet a wax release in the German camp, but the important signal: not only the established ones are victorious.

Langenhan and hole got gold and silver in the supreme discipline – and then lay in the arms. The 25 -year -old Langenhan defended his title since 1955. The three-time Olympic champion Loch (35), who had succeeded twice, won its eleventh World Cup medal in the one-man and thus replaced the Italian toboggan icon Armin Zöggeler as a World Cup record holder.

“In the end it is simply awesome to stand up again with Felix,” said Langenhan. “Now we are standing here and two. What more do we want?” Loch.

Langenhan also made rod with his foot broken shortly before Christmas. Two days after winning mixed gold together with the eight-time world champion Taubitz, the sports soldier could not be beat. “All coaches, doctors, physios, the mechanics throw so much into the balance all year round, so you have to pay it back at some point,” he said.

15 years after his first of three Olympic victories, Loch played his routine on the high -speed railway, in the second round the Austrian Nico Gleirscher from second place: “That was a awesome race.” After that, the toboggan sperm with six times gold, four times silver and once bronze in its single-seater record.

After the World Cup party is before the season finale

At the end of the 53rd title fights, the German team then made the medal-wearing full of gold in the team relay. Jessica Degenhardt/ Cheyenne Rosenthal, the silver medalists in the women’s doubles, the double-seater world champion Orlamünder/ Gubitz as well as Julia Taubitz and Max Langenhan fully lived up to their favorite role. Vice World Champion Merle Fräbel as well as the twice medalists Dajana Eitberger/Magdalena Matschina and the Wendl/Arlt, which were also decorated with precious metal, had not made it into the line-up. After the medal party, we continue to South Korea and China for the World Cup final. “I’m so proud of the whole team and the whole team behind the team,” said Leitner.