Give me five: Verena Hofer dreams of a medal. © FELICE CALABRO' / Felice Calabro'

Loud aunt and garish socks: The lugers dream

Will South Tyrol win another luge medal today? Our speedsters Verena Hofer and Sandra Robatscher are right on track at the halfway point of the race. They reveal to us how a bad day, colorful socks, and a loud aunt are supposed to bring good luck.

February 10, 2026

From Cortina d'Ampezzo

Dominik Fischnaller's bronze medal on Sunday sparked huge celebrations among the South Tyrolean luge team. Could another medal be on the way on Tuesday? The fact is, at the halfway point of the women's singles competition... two South Tyrolean women are doing very wellVerena Hofer from Feldthurns is in fourth place after two of four runs, while Sandra Robatscher from Tiers is in sixth. They are currently 0,06 and 0,118 seconds away from the podium, respectively. The two decisive runs will take place on Tuesday (5 p.m./6:34 p.m.).

“Everything is so close,” says Hofer, adding: “I made a few mistakes in the first run, and I tried to improve on that. I still have room for improvement, though,” says the 24-year-old, who has already reached the World Cup podium twice this year. “If someone had told me this before the season, I would have signed on the dotted line immediately!”

A "card" as a distraction

Will an Olympic medal follow? "There are still two runs ahead of us, and to be honest, I'm trying to think about it as little as possible," says Hofer, who has a special method for distracting herself. "The four of us South Tyrolean luge girls—Sandra, Andrea Vötter, Marion Oberhofer, and I—are always having a game of 'cards.' We either play Watten or Skyjo; it's fun."

Coach Armin Zöggeler is satisfied with his team's performance. © FELICE CALABRO' / Felice Calabro'

Robatscher will also start with medal chances on Tuesday. The 30-year-old is certainly enjoying the Olympic atmosphere to the fullest – and even has an amusing anecdote to share. "I probably shouldn't say this, but: when I was at the starting line today, I heard my aunt cheering me on," Robatscher laughs. "She – like all of us in the family – has a loud voice. That kind of thing gives me an extra boost!"

Robatscher's sock trick

The 30-year-old has a special ritual: she always wears particularly garish socks. Her right sock is bright yellow this evening, while the left one features a creepy mummy. "I wore this pair on October 31st at the Olympic test event – ​​the mummy was a good fit for Halloween at the time. They brought me luck, so I'm wearing them again today," says Robatscher with a broad grin. Her teammates often laugh at her sock collection. "Some have hearts on them, some have avocados – it's quite funny," says the luger from Tiers.

Sandra Robatscher is fully on track. © FELICE CALABRO' / Felice Calabro'

On Tuesday evening from 5 pm (third run) and 6:34 pm (fourth and final run), the two South Tyrolean lugers want to cause a sensation again – and perhaps the next South Tyrolean medal will follow.