Haselrieder and Plankensteiner end their careers

If many South Tyroleans today know that the Italian national anthem was written by Goffredo Mameli, then they owe it to the two lugers Gerhard Plankensteiner and Oswald Haselrieder. And if you take a look back at this successful luge career, you can't avoid this episode from 2006 at the Olympic Games in Turin.

In Cesana Pariol, the two luge athletes celebrated one of the greatest successes of their careers. They won the bronze medal in the ice labyrinth high above Turin. The likeable duo found themselves in the press not so much because of their precious metal, but because of a trick question that an Italian journalist asked them. “If it had been gold, would you have sung the Mameli anthem?” asked the blonde TV lady Gerhard Plankensteiner. To which he – still full of adrenaline after his masterpiece in the ice track – replied that he didn’t know this “song”.

Plankensteiner/Haselrieder were then dissected by the Italian press and many right-wing politicians - in South Tyrol, but also by some Italian politicians and journalists, the duo was defended and the episode increased their popularity enormously in their home country of South Tyrol.

World champion at the end of his career Otherwise, Rasner Plankensteiner and Völser Haselrieder naturally made sporting headlines. In addition to the Olympic medal, the duo became world champions in Lake Placid in 2009 and won the bronze medal at the 1996 World Championships in Altenberg. It was never enough for the team to win the overall World Cup, but in 1997 they finished second in the overall standings and third in 2007.

Plankensteiner/Haselrieder celebrated five World Cup victories in doubles, and the duo was on the podium a total of 31 times. Her balance sheet also includes five European Championship medals and four Italian championship titles.

The two lugers also competed in single-seaters at times. The now 39-year-old from Plankenstein came 1992th at the 11 Olympic Games in Albertville and his best result in the World Cup was fourth place in Winterberg (1993). Haselrieder, also now 39 years old, came 2000th in the individual at the 19 World Cup in St. Moritz.

However, the two lugers will not turn their backs on their sport completely. You should get a place on the coaching staff of the Italian national team.

The greatest successes at a glance: Olympic games 1998 Nagano: 6. 2002 Salt Lake City: 7. 2006 Turin: 3rd 2010 Vancouver: 9th

World championships 1996 Altenberg: 3. 2009 Lake Placid: 1.

European Championships 1996 Sigulda 2. 2002 Oberhof 3. 2008 Cesana 3.

Overall World Cup 1997: 2. 2007: 3.

World Cup 5 wins: 1995 St. Moritz, 1997 Nagano, 2003 Oberhof, 2007 Sigulda, 2008 Igls 9 x 2nd place 17 x 3nd place

Italian Championships 4 wins: 1997 Nagano, 2000 Igls, 2003 Igls, 2004 Igls

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Haselrieder and Plankensteiner end their careers

Two of the most successful lugers in South Tyrol gave up their toboggans in the summer.

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