Felix Endrich
Encyclopedia
Felix Endrich was a Swiss
bobsledder who competed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won the gold medal in the two-man event at the 1948 Winter Olympics
in St. Moritz
.
Endrich also won four medals in the two-man event at the FIBT World Championships
with two golds (1949
, 1953
), one silver (1947
), and one bronze (1951
).
Endrich was killed at the 1953 FIBT World Championships
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
, West Germany
during the four-man competition when the sled he was driving hurtled over a wall and crashed into a tree. He suffered a broken neck
in the collision and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Endrich had been married less than a month and his bride saw the fatal accident as it happened. He had also won the two-man world championship a week earlier.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
bobsledder who competed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won the gold medal in the two-man event at the 1948 Winter Olympics
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
.
Endrich also won four medals in the two-man event at the FIBT World Championships
FIBT World Championships
The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
with two golds (1949
FIBT World Championships 1949
The FIBT World Championships 1949 took place in Lake Placid, New York, United States. It marked the first time the championships took place outside of Europe.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:...
, 1953
FIBT World Championships 1953
The FIBT World Championships 1953 took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany for the third time after previously hosting the four-man event of the championships in 1934 and 1938...
), one silver (1947
FIBT World Championships 1947
The FIBT World Championships 1947 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the record sixth time after hosting the event previously in 1931 , 1935 , 1937 , 1938 , and 1939...
), and one bronze (1951
FIBT World Championships 1951
The FIBT World Championships 1951 took place in Alpe d'Huez, France. Germany returned to the FIBT World Championships for the first time since World War II, albeit as the separate countries of East Germany and West Germany.-Two man bobsleigh:...
).
Endrich was killed at the 1953 FIBT World Championships
FIBT World Championships 1953
The FIBT World Championships 1953 took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany for the third time after previously hosting the four-man event of the championships in 1934 and 1938...
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
during the four-man competition when the sled he was driving hurtled over a wall and crashed into a tree. He suffered a broken neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
in the collision and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Endrich had been married less than a month and his bride saw the fatal accident as it happened. He had also won the two-man world championship a week earlier.