A lightning-fast trio pushes their way to Cortina.

“When you’re on this journey alone, you lack the drive,” Robatscher explains. What does she mean by that? “Everyone needs competition. Verena and Nina bring out the best in me. And if one of them is faster, I have to immediately catch up,” the 29-year-old laughs. The Italian trio pushed themselves to peak performance during their preparations, and now they aim to translate that into top results this coming winter. After all, the three lugers share a common goal: the Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Before that, however, Robatscher wants to firmly establish herself in the top 10 "and maybe even make it onto the podium. I want to show that I'm back and that I'm a force to be reckoned with up front," she emphasizes her ambitions. The rider from Tiers, who has been crowned South Tyrol's Haflinger Queen since this year, is brimming with optimism – also because she can once again rely on her shoulders. "I was surprised myself, as my start times were on par with the others," Robatscher says happily, after having been set back by several shoulder surgeries in previous years. Her self-confidence is back. "I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I know it – now I have to show it." Nina Zöggeler Zöggeler has also regained this ability; the back pain from last year is now a thing of the past. "That allows me to be much clearer in my head," says the 24-year-old. Due to the difficult circumstances of the past season, she is now starting her Olympic mission with an extra dose of motivation. "I have butterflies in my stomach, but I'm trying to keep them in check as much as possible," she says. "I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I know I can – now I have to show it."

Hofer: "I definitely want to avoid that." On the road to the big showdown, her father Armin, a two-time Olympic champion and current head of racing for the Italian Luge Federation, is of course by her side. "Our character strengths are very similar; we both have that certain tunnel vision," she says, reflecting on their connection.

Cortina is the ultimate dream destination – but the pressure shouldn't become too great. "I definitely want to avoid that," Hofer says, mindful of the dangers of overthinking things. Last season, the 24-year-old was the highest-placed of the trio, finishing eleventh in the overall World Cup standings. "But that doesn't mean that much to me; we want to finish much higher as a team and compete against the very best," she notes. During the training weeks in Cortina, Hofer was able to examine every detail more closely and prepare more meticulously for the winter. This gives her a positive outlook for next February: "I feel comfortable on the luge again."

football

Italy

International leagues

International

hockey

tennis

Winter sports

Learn More

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Favorites

A lightning-fast trio pushes their way to Cortina.

Sandra Robatscher, Nina Zöggeler, and Verena Hofer are competing individually in the single-seater race. But the trio shares a common dream.

Comments (0)