Three-time Olympic champion Georg Hackl has left the German luge program for a job with rival Austria, asserting Thursday he has agreed to a four-year contract that runs by the 2026 Olympics.
Hackl is one in every of Germany’s luge legends, a significant a part of the nation’s dominance within the sliding sport for many years. Germany sometimes wins extra World Cup medals every season than all different nations mixed, plus claimed gold in all 4 occasions on the Beijing Olympics this yr.
Hackl’s main accountability with Austria will probably be in technical growth and sled materials building, a activity he’ll share with Austrian Olympic doubles luge silver medalist Peter Penz.
”As a coach with Germany, I’ve received every part there may be to win,” Hackl mentioned. ”I used to be searching for a brand new problem.”
Austrian Luge president Markus Prock was one in every of Hackl’s chief on-ice rivals for years. However when Prock approached Hackl – a 10-time world champion – about making this transfer, Hackl was quickly offered.
”The conversations with Markus had been completely convincing,” Hackl mentioned.
Austria received three medals on the Beijing Video games, second-most of any nation behind Germany’s six. Madeleine Egle was second within the general ladies’s World Cup standings this previous season, and Wolfgang Kindl was second within the males’s standings.
With Hackl, Prock hopes Austria can now take the following step.
”We wish to overtake the toboggan powerhouse Germany and develop into No. 1 on the ice monitor,” Prock mentioned. ”This requires a whole lot of coronary heart and fervour. … Now that the chance arose to steer him to Austria, we took the plunge. I’m very glad, but in addition proud, that he selected us.”
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