Armin Zöggeler biography
Armin Zöggeler, (born January 4, 1974, Merano, Italy), Italian luger, winner of two Olympic gold medals (2002 and 2006). He was the primary competitor to seize a medal in six consecutive Winter Games.
Zöggeler broke onto the luge racing scene at age 15 in 1989; his 14th-place end in a world competitors was a certain signal of issues to come back. He joined the Italian nationwide group that yr. In 1994, competing at age 20 within the Winter Olympic Games at Lillehammer, Norway, he claimed a bronze medal. In 1995 he returned to Lillehammer and captured his first world championship and completed second within the general World Cup standings. In 1997 he claimed the World Cup title, and on the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, he received the silver medal. Later that yr Zöggeler’s Italian group received the silver within the European championships. From that time on, Zöggeler dominated the world luge scene, notably incomes the nickname “Il Cannibale” (“The Cannibal”). In 1999 he captured 5 of the seven races he entered on his strategy to taking his second World Cup championship.
After closing out the 2000 worldwide luge racing season with victories in three of the ultimate 4 occasions and clinching the yr’s World Cup general luge championship, Zöggeler kicked off the 2001 season by defeating defending Olympic champion Georg Hackl of Germany within the two-track European championships in January. Zöggeler then went on to seize his third world championship, at Calgary, Alberta. He additionally led his Italian squad to a fourth-place end within the group occasion.
Zöggeler received his first gold medal on the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, and repeated as champion on the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy. He added to his medal rely by successful a bronze on the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. During this time he additionally received seven extra general World Cup championships (2004, 2006–11), bringing his whole to 10, which tied Markus Prock’s report. In 2014 Zöggeler competed at his final Olympics, capturing a bronze medal on the Winter Games in Sochi. He retired later that yr.