Andreas Linger facts for kids
.jpg) Linger in 2014 |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's luge | ||
Representing  Austria |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2006 Turin | Men's doubles |
| Gold | 2010 Vancouver | Men's doubles |
| Silver | 2014 Sochi | Men's doubles |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2003 Sigulda | Men's doubles |
| Gold | 2011 Cesana | Men's doubles |
| Gold | 2012 Altenberg | Men's doubles |
| Bronze | 2003 Sigulda | Mixed team |
| Bronze | 2013 Whistler | Men's doubles |
| World Cup Championships | ||
| Gold | 2011–12 | Men's doubles |
| Silver | 2010–11 | Men's doubles |
| Bronze | 2004–05 | Men's doubles |
| Bronze | 2007–08 | Men's doubles |
| Bronze | 2008–09 | Men's doubles |
| European Championships | ||
| Gold | 2010 Sigulda | Men's doubles |
| Silver | 2008 Cesana | Men's doubles |
| Silver | 2008 Cesana | Mixed team |
| Silver | 2010 Sigulda | Mixed team |
| Bronze | 2004 Oberhof | Men's doubles |
| Bronze | 2004 Oberhof | Mixed team |
| Bronze | 2014 Sigulda | Men's doubles |
Andreas Linger is a famous former luger from Austria. He was born on May 31, 1981, in Hall in Tirol. Andreas and his younger brother, Wolfgang, started luge when they were very young. They did their first doubles run together when they were just 14 years old.
Andreas Linger competed internationally starting in 2000. He and Wolfgang became one of the most successful luge doubles teams ever. They won many medals, including two gold medals at the Olympic Games. They also earned five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships and seven medals at the FIL European Luge Championships. The Linger brothers were also champions in the Luge World Cup in 2011-12.
Contents
Andreas's Luge Journey
Starting Out in Luge
Andreas tried many sports when he was a kid, like skiing and soccer. He was ten years old when he first tried an artificial luge track. This track had been used for Olympic events in 1964 and 1976. His brother Wolfgang was one of the few other kids at their local luge club who also tried it. Even at that young age, Andreas did not think luge was a very dangerous sport.
Five years later, when they were both 14, they were allowed to try doubles luge for the first time. While they sometimes competed alone or in mixed doubles, Andreas and Wolfgang found their greatest success as a doubles team.
Olympic Debut in 2002
The Linger brothers competed in their first Olympic Games in 2002. This was at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. They finished in 8th place. Their runs were very steady, but they were still behind another Austrian team. By the next season, the Lingers became one of the top doubles luge teams in Austria.
Winning Gold in 2006
Before the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Andreas's brother Wolfgang had an injury. He broke his leg in a luge crash in 2005. Despite this, just one year later, the Linger brothers competed in their second Winter Olympics.
The doubles competition in Turin had some crashes involving other teams. But the Lingers managed to win the gold medal! They beat the 2002 champions from Germany. This was a huge achievement, especially after Wolfgang's injury.
Defending Gold in 2010
The Linger brothers went to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were the defending champions from 2006 and were expected to win medals again.
There were some changes to the luge track at these Games. This was after a sad accident during a training run. The start of the doubles race was moved to a lower point. This meant the lugers had to create new strategies for their runs very quickly.
After their first run, the Linger brothers were slightly ahead of a team of brothers from Latvia. They increased their lead in the second run. They won the gold medal by a good margin! Their victory stopped Germany from winning all three luge gold medals at those Games. Andreas said that winning in 2010 was harder than in 2006. This was because they felt more pressure as the defending champions.
Silver Medal in 2014
The Linger brothers tried to win their third straight gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. However, they finished second, earning a silver medal. A German team won the gold with a very large lead.
Even with a silver, this made Andreas and Wolfgang the second most successful doubles luge team in Olympic history. Only one other team had won more medals. Less than six weeks after the 2014 Olympics, the Linger brothers announced they were retiring from the sport.
Life After Luge
Andreas Linger lives in Absam, Austria. He also serves in the Austrian army.
See also
In Spanish: Andreas Linger para niños
