Toni Blasbichler ends his successful career

The Rodengo native has been a member of the Italian national natural track luge team since 1989. He celebrated his first international successes at the Junior European Championships in 1990 and 1991, when he and his brother Christian won two silver medals in the doubles and also won gold in the singles in 1991.

In 1993 he surprisingly became European champion in Stein an der Enns In the general class, Blasbichler started almost exclusively in the single-seater. In 1992 he took part in the first ever World Cup race in Rautavaara, Finland. In 1993 he was surprisingly crowned European champion in Stein an der Enns. He celebrated his first World Cup victory on February 27, 1994 in Moscow. In the 1995/1996 season, Blasbichler secured the overall World Cup victory for the first time with three race wins and another two podium places, ahead of the Austrian Gerhard Pilz. The following year he repeated the success, this time ahead of Martin Gruber. This winter he also achieved two podium places in the doubles with Martin Psenner from Völs. In the 1998/1999 World Cup season, Blasbichler had the same number of points as World Cup winner Reinhard Gruber, who, however, won the overall ranking due to the better result. In February 1999, Blasbichler became European champion for the second time in Szczyrk, Poland. In 2001 Blasbichler won his first world championship title. In Stein an der Enns he won gold in both the single-seater and the team competition, which was held for the first time.

In 2001 he won his first World Championship gold in Stein an der Enns With four wins in the first four races of the season, Blasbichler secured the overall World Cup victory for the third time in seven years in the winter of 2003/2004. The fourth overall World Cup followed the following year. In 2005 he became single-seater world champion in Laces. Two more World Cup titles in the team competition followed in 2009 in Latsch and 2011 in Umhausen. Blasbichler hasn't won any World Cup races in the last ten years, but he has achieved a few podium places, like this year in January in Deutschnofen, when he was beaten by his teammate Alex Gruber by just 16 hundredths and came second, ahead of Patrick Pigneter. At the 2008 European Championships in Olang, one day before his 36th birthday, he won the silver medal, just 18 hundredths of a second behind the Austrian Robert Batkowski.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rrau0i8uiYU

Blasbichler would like to remain involved in tobogganing as a coach At the age of 43, Blasbichler, who is the father of three daughters, is calling it quits. But he would like to stay involved in tobogganing. “I have a lot to thank our wonderful sport for and can well imagine continuing to contribute my experience and knowledge as a coach. If I'm needed, I'm happy to be available. I was able to practice my sport for over a quarter of a century and have really experienced many beautiful moments. I would especially like to thank my family and the army sports group, who have always supported me. And of course everyone on the team.”

All of Toni Blasbichler's successes World Championships (5 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) Bad Goisern 1992: 4th single-seater Gsies 1994: 8th single-seater Oberperfuss 1996: 2nd single-seater Rautavaara 1998: 2nd single-seater Olang 2000: 3rd single-seater Stein an der Enns 2001: 1st single-seater, 1st team Železniki 2003: 4th single-seater Latsch 2005: 1st single-seater, 3rd team Grande Prairie 2007: 12th single-seater Moos in Passeier 2009: 11th single-seater, 1st team Umhausen 2011: 8th single-seater, 1st team St. Sebastian 2015: 7th single-seater European Championships (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) Völs 1991: 6th single-seater Stein an der Enns 1993: 1st single-seater Kandalaksha 1995: 10th single-seater Moos in Passeier 1997: 4th single-seater Szczyrk 1999: 1st single-seater Frantschach 2002: 6th single-seater Hüttau 2004: 5th single-seater Umhausen 2006: 9th single-seater Olang 2008: 2rd single-seater St. Sebastian 2010: 3th single-seater Novouralsk 2012: 5th single-seater, 4th team Umhausen 2014: 4th single-seater Junior European Championships (1 gold, 2 silver) Bruck 1989: 7th single-seater Železniki 1990: 4th single-seater, 2nd double-seater Kandalakscha 1991: 1st single-seater, 2nd double-seater

World Cup 4x overall World Cup victory in the single-seater in the 1995/1996, 1996/1997, 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons 2x 2nd place in the overall single-seater World Cup in the 1998/1999 and 2000/2001 seasons 4x 3rd place in the overall single-seater World Cup in the 1993/1994, 1999/2000, 2001/2002 and 2010/2011 seasons

20 World Cup victories , 53 podium places (51 in the single-seater, 2 in the double-seater) February 27, 1994: Moscow (RUS) February 12, 1995: Stein an der Enns (AUT) January 19, 1996: Landskron (AUT) January 21, 1996: Landskron (AUT) February 4, 1996: Latsch (ITA) January 24, 1997: Dobbiaco (ITA) February 9, 1997: Shelter (AUT) February 16, 1997: Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) January 24, 1999: Canale d'Agordo (ITA) February 7, 1999: Aurach (AUT) February 20, 2000: Zelezniki (SLO) January 7, 2001: Unterammergau (GER) 14 December 2003 : Valdaora (ITA) January 6, 2004: Grande Prairie (CAN) January 18, 2004: Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) January 25, 2004: Moscow (RUS) December 18, 2004: Campill (ITA) - at the same time as Patrick Pigneter January 9, 2005: Unterammergau (GER) January 14, 2005: Oberperfuss (AUT) January 15, 2005: Oberperfuss (AUT)

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Toni Blasbichler ends his successful career

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