+++ breaking news +++
Olympics 2022
Toboggan double victory: Geisenberger Olympic champion for the third time – Berreiter takes silver
The German Olympians and lugers Natalie Geisenberger (left) and Anna Berreiter
© Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP
In the run-up to the Beijing Winter Games, Natalie Geisenberger thought of a boycott. Now the tobogganist is tied with Claudia Pechstein in terms of gold medals as the German record holder.
Natalie Geisenberger slipped through the finish area on her knees, cried with joy and fell into Felix Loch’s arms: The 34-year-old made history as the first three-time Olympic champion in individual luge and, with her fifth gold overall, is on a par with Germany’s winter record holder Claudia Pechstein. Overjoyed, Geisenberger wiped the tears from his eyes with the Germany flag.
After a great performance in the fourth run, Geisenberger was 0.493 seconds ahead of her teammate Anna Berreiter, who won silver in her Olympic debut. The Russian Tatjana Iwanowa secured bronze, the top favorite Julia Taubitz, who fell in the second run, was seventh. “The tension was huge, just like four years ago. The pulse is still up,” said Geisenberger’s husband Markus on ARD.
Geisenberg can win sixth Olympic gold on Thursday
After victories in Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018, Geisenberger was the first female luger to win the individual competition for the third time in a row. Since the 1998 games in Nagano, a German has always won the Olympic luge race.
Geisenberger can already win her sixth gold on Thursday. Then the nine-time world champion will start in the team competition with Olympic champion Johannes Ludwig and a doubles player who has yet to be nominated. Germany had already won the first two team competitions in Sochi and Pyeongchang.
In the third run, Geisenberger was the first athlete to enter the 1475 meter long track in the mountains north of Beijing. With start number one, she immediately sent a signal to the competition with a track record of 58.226 seconds. Berreiter, who followed directly behind, also kept her nerves and consolidated her second place, lying 0.330 seconds behind Geisenberger before the finale. As the day before, some drivers had problems with turn 13, where Taubitz had fallen.
In the run-up to the games, Geisenberger had openly considered giving up. The events of a three-week stay in China before the season opener were just too shocking. Despite negative tests, the athletes had to remain in isolation, were not given proper food and were only allowed to leave the rooms for training. During an hour-long bus ride, the athletes were not allowed to go to the toilet, instead a canister was handed out. Geisenberger categorically ruled out participation in a World Cup in China. Her tone had softened during the games, and she spoke of being grateful to be in China despite the pandemic.
While Geisenberger was cheered on by the German team around Olympic champion Johannes Ludwig on the track in the Yanqing Sliding Center, husband Markus and son Leo, who was born in May 2020, shared the fever at home. Geisenberger also had a piece of his family with him in China. A necklace with Leo’s hand and footprint as a pendant served as a lucky charm for the experienced athlete.
Geisenberger is only the second mother with Olympic toboggan gold. Before her, Steffi Martin climbed to the top of the podium in 1984 and repeated the triumph four years later as Steffi Walter and mother. Despite all the successes, Geisenberger went into the races with low expectations: “I count myself among the top eight and would like to be among the front runners.” Now she can call herself a German Olympic record holder.