Armin Zöggeler

Armin Zöggeler

Armin Zöggeler during 2005 World Cup competition in Oberhof, Germany.
Personal information
Born (1974-01-04) 4 January 1974[1]
Merano,[1] South Tyrol,  Italy
Residence Lana,[1] South Tyrol
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)[1]
Website home
Sport
Country  Italy
Sport Luge
Event(s) Men´s singles
Club Centro Sportivo Carabinieri
Turned pro 1991[1]
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals 1st1st2nd3rd3rd3rd

Armin Zöggeler (born 4 January 1974) is a retired Italian luger and double Olympic champion. He is one of the most successful men in the sport, nicknamed Il Cannibale ("The Cannibal"), for his notable series of victories, or The Iceblood Champion, for his always cold, rational approach to the races.

At the Winter Olympic Games, Zöggeler has won six medals in six consecutive Olympics - and this is a record in sport. He also has sixteen medals at the FIL World Luge Championships. At the FIL European Luge Championships, Zöggeler has earned eighteen medals.

Personal life

Zöggeler was born in Meran, South Tyrol. A Carabiniere by profession, he began to luge at a very young age, over natural tracks. He won the junior World Cup when he was 14, and made his debut with the Italian national team at the age of 19. Despite a lack of tracks in Italy until the construction of the Cesana Pariol track for the 2006 Winter Olympics, he evolved into one of the most effective lugers ever.

Zöggeler lives in the town of Lana, in South Tyrol. He got married on May 12, 2007, and had two children, Nina and Thomas. During times when he is not training, Zöggeler enjoys swimming, field hockey, and collecting and watching television dramas.

Achievements

At the Winter Olympics, Zöggeler has won six medals in the same individual competition in six consecutive Olympics, the first to do so;[2] including two golds (2002, 2006), one silver (1998), and three bronze (1994, 2010, 2014).

He has sixteen medals at the FIL World Luge Championships, including six golds (Men's singles: 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011), five silvers (Men's singles: 2000, 2007, 2009; Mixed team: 1995, 2007), and five bronzes (Mixed team: 1996, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2012).

At the FIL European Luge Championships, Zöggeler has earned eleven medals. This includes four golds (Men's singles: 2004, 2008 and 2014, Mixed team: 1994), three silvers (Men's singles: 2006, Mixed team: 2004, 2006), and five bronzes (Men's singles: 1994, 2000, 2002; Mixed team: 2000, 2008).

He won the overall Luge World Cup in men's singles ten times (1997–98, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2010–11). This is another record together with Markus Prock.

Zöggeler's 57 individual wins in the World Cup (as of January 2014), he is first of all time, beating the previous record of 33 wins by both German Georg Hackl and Austrian Markus Prock.

Sports career

Zöggeler carried the Italian flag at the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics.[3]

For the 2010 Winter Olympics, Zöggeler was offered to carry the flag for Italy at the opening ceremonies, but he declined because of the first two runs taking place at the Whistler Sliding Centre the following evening. The flagbearer instead went to cross-country skier Giorgio Di Centa.

He carried the flag for the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.[3]

On 9 February 2014, Zöggeler became the first person in history to win six medals in the same individual competition in six consecutive Olympics, by winning a bronze.[2] Other athletes who won medals in six consecutive Olympics did not do so in the same individual competition: Aladár Gerevich, a fencer from Hungary, won six gold medals between 1932 and 1960 with the Hungarian team; Elisabeta Lipă, a rower from Romania, won her medals between 1984 and 2004 in different disciplines (Single Scull, Double Scull, Quadruple Scull and Eight).

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 FIL-Luge profile, accessed December 4, 2010
  2. 1 2 Joe Menzer (9 February 2014). "Ageless Wonder Armin Zoeggeler Captures 6th Straight Olympic Luge Medal". Associated Press (Bleacher Report).
  3. 1 2 Associated Press (8 October 2013). "Luge great Armin Zoggeler carry Italy's flag into Sochi". CBC News. Retrieved 8 February 2014.

External links

Records
Preceded by
Hungary Aladár Gerevich		 Athletes with the most medals at Olympic Games in one event
(shared with Hungary Aladár Gerevich)
February 9, 2014 – present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Giuliano Razzoli		 Italian Sportsman of the Year
2011 		Succeeded by
Alex Zanardi
Olympic Games
Preceded by
Giorgio Di Centa		 Flagbearer for  Italy
Sochi 2014 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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