Andreas Linger
Encyclopedia
Andreas Linger (born 31 May 1981 in Hall in Tirol
) is an Austria
n luge
r who has competed internationally since 2000. He and his younger brother Wolfgang
began luging at a very young age, and did their first doubles run when they were 14. Linger has won three medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with two golds (Men's doubles: 2003
, 2011
) and a bronze (Mixed team: 2003). He also earned six medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with a gold (Men's doubles: 2010
), three silvers (Men's doubles: 2008
, Mixed team: 2008, 2010), and two bronzes (Men's doubles, Mixed team: both in 2004
). Linger's best overall Luge World Cup men's doubles finish was third twice (2004-5, 2007-8
). He and his brother are two time Olympic champions in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
, Italy
and the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, Canada
. They won in 2006 despite Wolfgang having broken his leg in a luge crash the previous year. In 2010, they successfully defended their gold medal against another team of brothers, Andris
and Juris Šics
of Latvia
.
that had been used for Olympic events in 1964 and 1976. His brother was one of the few other members of their local luge club who tried it. Even at that young age, Andreas did not think of luge as being a particularly dangerous sport. Five years later, when they were both 14, they were allowed to try doubles luge for the first time. Despite competing as individuals or in mixed doubles in some events, the Wolfgang and Andreas have seen their most significant success as a doubles team.
in Salt Lake City, Utah
. Their runs were relatively consistent, at 43.330 seconds and 43.354 seconds, but they would still trail their countrymen Tobias
and Markus Schiegl
. By the following, season, however, the Lingers challenged the Schiegls as the best doubles luge team in Austria, beating the latter at the inaugural Krombacher Challenge Cup and setting a course record there.
in Turin
, Italy
. The doubles competition there saw crashes by three different teams, one of which resulted in a Ukrainian competitor being taken to a hospital in an ambulance. As a result the event was described in the media as being 'plagued' by crashes. The Lingers managed to win the gold medal, defeating defending 2002 champions André Florschütz
and Torsten Wustlich
of Germany
.
in Vancouver
, Canada
defending their 2006 gold medal and as strong favorites to be medal contenders. Controversy surrounded the luge competitions at the 2010 Games following the death of Georgian
luger Nodar Kumaritashvili
in a crash during a training run prior to the opening of the Games. After Kumaritashvili's death, changes were made in the ice profile of the turn where he crashed, padding was added to support columns like the one he hit, and the start of the doubles competition was moved up to what had previously been the junior start. This meant that competitors only had six training runs on the altered course in which to develop an entirely new strategy for their runs. After the first run, the Linger brothers led their closest competitors, brothers Andris
and Juris Šics
of Latvia
, by a razor-thin margin of .088 seconds. However, they expanded their lead in the second run, winning the gold medal by a cumulative .264 seconds. Their victory prevented the German team at the Games from sweeping all three luge medals, as German competitors had previously won both the men's and women's singles events. Linger told reporters after the victory that it had been more difficult than the medal in Turin four years earlier, given the pressure of being defending champions and the favorite to win.
Hall in Tirol
Hall in Tirol is a town in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria. Located at an altitude of 574 m, about 5 km east of the state's capital Innsbruck in the Inn valley, it has a population of about 12,700 .-History:...
) is an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
r who has competed internationally since 2000. He and his younger brother Wolfgang
Wolfgang Linger
Wolfgang Linger is an Austrian luger who has competed internationally since 2000. As young children, he and his older brother Andreas learned to luge on a former Olympic luge track, and at age 14 began competing as a doubles team for the first time...
began luging at a very young age, and did their first doubles run when they were 14. Linger has won three medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with two golds (Men's doubles: 2003
FIL World Luge Championships 2003
The FIL World Luge Championships 2003 took place in Sigulda, Latvia. The team event was adjusted to one nation per team at these championships.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Mixed team:-Medal table:-References:****...
, 2011
FIL World Luge Championships 2011
The FIL World Luge Championships 2011 took place 28-30 January 2011 in Cesana, Italy at the Cesana Pariol bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track. A total of 19 countries competed.-Medalists:-Men's singles:...
) and a bronze (Mixed team: 2003). He also earned six medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with a gold (Men's doubles: 2010
FIL European Luge Championships 2010
The FIL European Luge Championships 2010 took place 19 - 24 January 2010 in Sigulda, Latvia for the second time, hosting the event previously in 1996.-Festivities:...
), three silvers (Men's doubles: 2008
FIL European Luge Championships 2008
The FIL European Luge Championships 2008 took place January 7-13, 2008 at the Cesana Pariol track in Cesana, Italy. The relay competition took the place of the team event that had been held at every European championship since 1988...
, Mixed team: 2008, 2010), and two bronzes (Men's doubles, Mixed team: both in 2004
FIL European Luge Championships 2004
The FIL European Luge Championships 2004 took place in Oberhof, Germany for the third time having hosted the event previously in 1979 and 1998. The number of teams per nation in the mixed team event is reduced from two to one starting at these championships....
). Linger's best overall Luge World Cup men's doubles finish was third twice (2004-5, 2007-8
2007-08 Luge World Cup
The 2007-08 Luge World Cup is a multi race tournament over a season for luge. The season started on 16 November 2007 and ended on 17 February 2008. The World Cup is organised by the FIL.- Calendar :-Men's singles:-Men's doubles:-Women's singles:...
). He and his brother are two time Olympic champions in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They won in 2006 despite Wolfgang having broken his leg in a luge crash the previous year. In 2010, they successfully defended their gold medal against another team of brothers, Andris
Andris Šics
Andris Šics is a Latvian luger who has competed since 1998. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at Vancouver in 2010 alongside his teammate, older brother Juris Šics....
and Juris Šics
Juris Šics
Juris Šics is a Latvian luger who has competed since 1998. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at Vancouver in 2010 alongside his teammate, younger brother Andris Šics....
of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
.
Introduction to luge
Andreas competed in a number of sports as a child, including skiing and soccer. He was ten years old when he tried an artificial luge track for the first time, on a trackIgls bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Olympic Sliding Centre Innsburck is a venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton located in Igls, Austria . The most recent version of the track was completed in 1975 and is the first permanent, combination artificially refrigerated bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track, serving as a model for other...
that had been used for Olympic events in 1964 and 1976. His brother was one of the few other members of their local luge club who tried it. Even at that young age, Andreas did not think of luge as being a particularly dangerous sport. Five years later, when they were both 14, they were allowed to try doubles luge for the first time. Despite competing as individuals or in mixed doubles in some events, the Wolfgang and Andreas have seen their most significant success as a doubles team.
2002-2004
The Linger brothers placed 8th in the 2002 Winter Olympics2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Their runs were relatively consistent, at 43.330 seconds and 43.354 seconds, but they would still trail their countrymen Tobias
Tobias Schiegl
Tobias Schiegl is an Austrian luger who competed from 1993 to 2010. He won fourteen medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with five golds , five silvers , and four bronzes Tobias Schiegl (born October 5, 1973 in Kufstein) is an Austrian luger who competed from 1993 to 2010. He won fourteen...
and Markus Schiegl
Markus Schiegl
Markus Schiegl is an Austrian luger who has competed from 1987 to 2010. He won fourteen medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with five golds , five silvers , and four bronzes Markus Schiegl (born 07.06.1975 in Kufstein) is an Austrian luger who has competed from 1987 to 2010. He won fourteen...
. By the following, season, however, the Lingers challenged the Schiegls as the best doubles luge team in Austria, beating the latter at the inaugural Krombacher Challenge Cup and setting a course record there.
2006 Winter Olympics
Linger's brother Wolfgang was injured when he and his brother crashed in an Olympic test run in 2005, breaking the ankle and fibula in Wolfgang's left leg. Only a year after the crash, Linger and his brother were competed in their second Winter Olympics, the 2006 Games2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The doubles competition there saw crashes by three different teams, one of which resulted in a Ukrainian competitor being taken to a hospital in an ambulance. As a result the event was described in the media as being 'plagued' by crashes. The Lingers managed to win the gold medal, defeating defending 2002 champions André Florschütz
André Florschütz
André Florschütz is a German luger who competed from 1993 to 2010. Together with Torsten Wustlich, he won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin....
and Torsten Wustlich
Torsten Wustlich
Torsten Wustlich is a German luger who competed from 1998 to 2010. Together with André Florschütz, he won the silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin....
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
2010 Winter Olympics
The Linger brothers entered the 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
defending their 2006 gold medal and as strong favorites to be medal contenders. Controversy surrounded the luge competitions at the 2010 Games following the death of Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
luger Nodar Kumaritashvili
Nodar Kumaritashvili
Nodar David Kumaritashvili was a Georgian luger, who suffered a fatal crash during a training run for the 2010 Winter Olympics competition in Vancouver, Canada, on the day of the opening ceremony...
in a crash during a training run prior to the opening of the Games. After Kumaritashvili's death, changes were made in the ice profile of the turn where he crashed, padding was added to support columns like the one he hit, and the start of the doubles competition was moved up to what had previously been the junior start. This meant that competitors only had six training runs on the altered course in which to develop an entirely new strategy for their runs. After the first run, the Linger brothers led their closest competitors, brothers Andris
Andris Šics
Andris Šics is a Latvian luger who has competed since 1998. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at Vancouver in 2010 alongside his teammate, older brother Juris Šics....
and Juris Šics
Juris Šics
Juris Šics is a Latvian luger who has competed since 1998. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at Vancouver in 2010 alongside his teammate, younger brother Andris Šics....
of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, by a razor-thin margin of .088 seconds. However, they expanded their lead in the second run, winning the gold medal by a cumulative .264 seconds. Their victory prevented the German team at the Games from sweeping all three luge medals, as German competitors had previously won both the men's and women's singles events. Linger told reporters after the victory that it had been more difficult than the medal in Turin four years earlier, given the pressure of being defending champions and the favorite to win.