Two Puster nobodies start the Olympic mission

“These are boys who have the absolute will to prove themselves in top international sport. Their development is incredible,” is how Gerda Weissensteiner judges Patrick Baumgartner and Manuel Schwärzer. The bobsleigh and luge Olympic medalist knows what she's talking about. She followed both of their careers closely and gave Schwärzer particular tips along the way. Now two South Tyrolean winter athletes are facing the most important season of their careers.

Experts are enthused Patrick Baumgartner is, alongside the experienced Simone Bertazzo, one of Italy's best bobsleigh pilots. “With these two athletes we see the opportunity to lead Italy back into the world elite,” reveals Omar Sacco, the person responsible for bobsleigh in the national winter sports association. The 22-year-old from Palatinate made people take notice last spring with four top-30 placements in the World Cup, and now he is set to make his big breakthrough in the Olympic winter. Baumgartner wants to set the first exclamation marks in North America in the coming weeks, where the first World Cup points will be awarded in Lake Placid (November 9th-10th), Park City (November 17th-19th) and Whistler Mountain (November 25th). With consistently good performances, Baumgartner, who competes in both the two-man and four-man bobsleigh, wants to force his way into the Olympic Games in South Korea.

The Meransner pursues the same goal Manuel Blacker . Due to the serious injury to Mattia Gaspari, who is out for the entire Olympic season, the 21-year-old model athlete from South Tyrol is currently the best active skeleton rider that the Italian national team has. With a lot of training, he fought for a starting place for the first races in Lake Placid (November 10th), Park City (November 18th) and Whistler (November 25th). He was able to get a taste of the World Cup for the first time at the end of last season – and was able to impress straight away. Schwärzer seems to be particularly fond of the railways in South Korea. The journey will also lead there this winter when the Olympic medals will be awarded in Pyeongchang in February. “The tracks in North America are still new territory for Manuel, so he will certainly have to learn some lessons there. However, in the long term, he has all the prerequisites to establish himself in the World Cup,” Weissensteiner is convinced.

Both Baumgartner and Schwärzer are entering the season with a lot of praise. Now it is up to the athletes to increase their own popularity and that of two fascinating sports such as bobsleigh and skeleton in South Tyrol.

SN/Alexander Foppa

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Two Puster nobodies start the Olympic mission

Bobsleigh pilot Patrick Baumgartner and skeleton driver Manuel Schwärzer are currently setting off for North America, where the 2017/18 World Cup season will begin in November. The two youngsters are absolute unknowns in this country, but they could still cause a huge sensation this winter.

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