Felix Loch
Encyclopedia
Felix Loch is a German
luge
r and Olympic champion. He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006. He won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds (Men's singles: 2008
, 2009
; Mixed team event: 2008, 2009) and one silver (Men's singles: 2011
). Loch's men's singles win in 2008 made him the youngest world champion ever at 18 years old. He is the youngest Olympic Gold Medalist in men's Luge history.
At the 2008 FIL European Luge Championships
in Cesana, Italy
, he finished sixth in the men's singles event.
Previously he had won the 2006 Junior World Championship held in Altenberg, Germany
. Loch is member of the Club RC Berchtesgaden and currently lives at Schönau am Königssee though he was born in Sonneberg
.
During International Training Week at the Whistler Sliding Centre
in Whistler, British Columbia
on November 7–15, 2008, Loch injured his shoulder during training. Bob- und Schlittenverband für Deutschland
(BSD) Sport Director Thomas Schwab
stated that Loch would compete at the opening Luge World Cup event at Igls
, Austria
on November 29–30, 2008 to which Loch did.
On 21 February 2009, during the 2008-09 Luge World Cup season finale at Whistler Sliding Centre
, Felix Loch recorded the fastest registered speed in luge, 153.98 km/h (95.7 mph).
Loch won the Men's Singles gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics
after Nodar Kumaritashvili's
death.
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...
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 and Olympic champion. He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006. He won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds (Men's singles: 2008
FIL World Luge Championships 2008
The FIL World Luge Championships 2008 took place January 21-27, 2008 at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Oberhof, Germany for the third time after having hosted the event in 1973 and 1985. The relay competition took the place of the team event that had been held at every world...
, 2009
FIL World Luge Championships 2009
The FIL World Luge Championships 2009 ran on 1–8 February 2009 at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Lake Placid, New York, United States for the second time after having hosted the event in 1983...
; Mixed team event: 2008, 2009) and one silver (Men's singles: 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:...
). Loch's men's singles win in 2008 made him the youngest world champion ever at 18 years old. He is the youngest Olympic Gold Medalist in men's Luge history.
At the 2008 FIL European Luge Championships
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...
in Cesana, 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...
, he finished sixth in the men's singles event.
Previously he had won the 2006 Junior World Championship held in Altenberg, Germany
Altenberg, Germany
Altenberg is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, close to the border with the Czech Republic, 15 km northwest of Teplice, and 32 km south of Dresden....
. Loch is member of the Club RC Berchtesgaden and currently lives at Schönau am Königssee though he was born in Sonneberg
Sonneberg
Sonneberg is a town in Thuringia, Germany, which is seat of the district Sonneberg.It has long been a centre of toy making and is still well known for this...
.
During International Training Week at the Whistler Sliding Centre
Whistler Sliding Centre
The Whistler Sliding Centre is a Canadian bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Whistler, British Columbia, that is north of Vancouver. The centre is part of the Whistler Blackcomb resort, which comprises two ski mountains separated by Fitzsimmons Creek...
in Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
on November 7–15, 2008, Loch injured his shoulder during training. Bob- und Schlittenverband für Deutschland
Bob- und Schlittenverband für Deutschland
Bob- und Schlittenverband für Deutschland e.V. is the official federation for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton in Germany...
(BSD) Sport Director Thomas Schwab
Thomas Schwab
Thomas Schwab is a West German luger who competed in the late 1980s. Together with Wolfgang Staudinger he won the bronze medal in the men's doubles event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, representing West Germany.Schwab also won a bronze medal in the men's doubles event at the 1987 FIL...
stated that Loch would compete at the opening Luge World Cup event at Igls
Igls 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...
, 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...
on November 29–30, 2008 to which Loch did.
On 21 February 2009, during the 2008-09 Luge World Cup season finale at Whistler Sliding Centre
Whistler Sliding Centre
The Whistler Sliding Centre is a Canadian bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track located in Whistler, British Columbia, that is north of Vancouver. The centre is part of the Whistler Blackcomb resort, which comprises two ski mountains separated by Fitzsimmons Creek...
, Felix Loch recorded the fastest registered speed in luge, 153.98 km/h (95.7 mph).
Loch won the Men's Singles gold medal at 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...
after Nodar Kumaritashvili's
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...
death.