Wolfgang Scheidel
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Scheidel (born 1 March 1943 in Erfurt
, Thuringia
) is an East German former luge
r who competed from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. He won the gold medal in the men's singles event at the 1972 Winter Olympics
in Sapporo.
Scheidel also won three medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with one gold in the men's doubles (1965
) and two bronzes in the men's singles (1969
, 1970
). He won a pair of silver medals in the men's singles event at the FIL European Luge Championships (1970
, 1971
).
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
) is an East German former 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 competed from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. He won the gold medal in the men's singles event at the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
in Sapporo.
Scheidel also won three medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with one gold in the men's doubles (1965
FIL World Luge Championships 1965
The FIL World Luge Championships 1965 took place in Davos, Switzerland. This is the second time the city has hosted the event, having done so in 1957.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:...
) and two bronzes in the men's singles (1969
FIL World Luge Championships 1969
The FIL World Luge Championships 1969 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It marked the first time the event took place on a permanent, artificially refrigerated track in bobsleigh, luge, and/ or skeleton.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:...
, 1970
FIL World Luge Championships 1970
The FIL World Luge Championships 1970 took place in Königssee, West Germany. It is the only time that the championships have been held in the same location in consecutive years.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:-Medal table:...
). He won a pair of silver medals in the men's singles event at the FIL European Luge Championships (1970
FIL European Luge Championships 1970
The FIL European Luge Championships 1970 took place in Hammarstrand, Sweden. This event was dominated by the rise of the East German team, who won six of the nine available medals at this championship...
, 1971
FIL European Luge Championships 1971
The FIL European Luge Championships 1971 took place in Imst, Austria for the second time after having previously hosted the championships in 1956. A record four countries won medals at these championships.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:...
).