List of Olympic medalists in luge
Medalists -- Men 's singles
Table:
Games

Gold

Silver

Bronze

1964 Innsbruck
details

Thomas Köhler
United Team of Germany

Klaus Bonsack
United Team of Germany

Hans Plenk
United Team of Germany

1968 Grenoble
details

Manfred Schmid
Austria

Thomas Köhler
East Germany

Klaus Bonsack
East Germany

1972 Sapporo
details

Wolfgang Scheidel
East Germany

Harald Ehrig
East Germany

Wolfram Fiedler
East Germany

1976 Innsbruck
details

Dettlef Günther
East Germany

Josef Fendt
West Germany

Hans Rinn
East Germany

1980 Lake Placid
details

Bernhard Glass
East Germany

Paul Hildgartner
Italy

Anton Winkler
West Germany

1984 Sarajevo
details

Paul Hildgartner
Italy

Sergey Danilin
Soviet Union

Valery Dudin
Soviet Union

1988 Calgary
details

Jens Müller
East Germany

Georg Hackl
West Germany

Yuri Kharchenko
Soviet Union

1992 Albertville
details

Georg Hackl
Germany

Markus Prock
Austria

Markus Schmidt
Austria

1994 Lillehammer
details

Georg Hackl
Germany

Markus Prock
Austria

Armin Zöggeler
Italy

1998 Nagano
details

Georg Hackl
Germany

Armin Zöggeler
Italy

Jens Müller
Germany

2002 Salt Lake City
details

Armin Zöggeler
Italy

Georg Hackl
Germany

Markus Prock
Austria

2006 Turin
details

Armin Zöggeler
Italy

Albert Demchenko
Russia

Mārtiņš Rubenis
Latvia

2010 Vancouver
details

Felix Loch
Germany

David Möller
Germany

Armin Zöggeler
Italy

2014 Sochi
details

Felix Loch
Germany

Albert Demchenko
Russia

Armin Zöggeler
Italy

2018 Pyeongchang
details

David Gleirscher
Austria

Chris Mazdzer
United States

Johannes Ludwig
Germany

Consulting the provided table together with the supporting text below.

Respond to the question below: The luger known as the Speeding Weißwurst won his first Olympic medal in luge when he came in second to a luger born where ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Luge at the 1964 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck . The competition took place between January 30 and February 4 , 1964 . This was the first appearance of Luge in the Winter Olympics . It was originally scheduled to be added in 1960 , but as there was no venue built for it in Squaw Valley , the sport 's debut came in 1964 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck was held from 30 January to 4 February , at Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck . Tragedy affected the event as British luger Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypecki was killed during a practice run on January 23 , seven days before the start of the competition .
Thomas Köhler ( born 25 June 1940 ) is an East German former luger who competed during the 1960s . He won three Winter Olympic medals in men 's luge with two golds ( Singles : 1964 , Doubles : 1968 ) and one silver ( Singles : 1968 ) . Köhler won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with three golds ( singles : 1962 , 1967 ; doubles : 1967 ) and one silver ( doubles : 1965 ) .
Athletes from East Germany ( German Democratic Republic ; GDR ) and West Germany ( Federal Republic of Germany ; FRG ) competed together as the United Team of Germany at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck , Austria .
Klaus Bonsack ( born 26 December 1941 ) , also known as Klaus-Michael Bonsack , is an East German former luger who competed during the 1960s and early 1970s . He was born in Waltershausen , Thuringia . He won four Winter Olympic medal in men 's luge with one gold ( doubles : 1968 ) , one silver ( singles : 1964 ) , and two bronzes ( singles : 1968 , doubles : 1972 ) . Bonsack also won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with one gold ( doubles : 1967 ) , two silvers ( doubles : 1965 , singles : 1967 ) , and two bronzes ( singles : 1963 , doubles : 1969 ) . Bonsack later served as chairman of the track construction commission , approving the final homologation of Cesana Pariol prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics for luge to compete at the track . He was among the first three inductees in the International Luge Federation ( FIL ) Hall of Fame in 2004 , along with Paul Hildgartner and Margit Schumann .
Hans Plenk ( born 21 February 1938 ) was a West German luger who competed during the 1960s . He was born in Berchtesgaden . He won the bronze medal in the men 's singles event at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck . Plenk won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four medals in the men 's singles ( gold : 1965 , silver : 1961 , 1963 ; bronze : 1960 ) and one in the men 's doubles event ( bronze : 1960 ) .
Luge at the 1968 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Villard-de-Lans . The competition took place between February 11 and February 18 , 1968 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble was held from 11 to 13 February , at Villard-de-Lans . Originally , four runs were scheduled , but poor weather meant that the competition was delayed , and the fourth run was eventually cancelled .
Manfred Schmid ( born 6 June 1944 in Liezen ) is an Austrian former luger who competed from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s . Competing in four Winter Olympics , he won two medals at Grenoble in 1968 with a gold in the men 's singles event and a silver in the men 's doubles event . Schmid also won seven medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with two gold ( doubles : 1969 , 1970 ) , four silvers ( singles : 1969 , 1975 ; doubles : 1967 , 1971 ) , and one bronze ( singles : 1978 ) . He won five medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with two silvers ( Men 's singles : 1974 , Men 's doubles : 1971 ) and three bronzes ( Men 's singles : 1971 , 1973 ; Men 's doubles : 1970 ) . Schmid finished third in the overall Luge World Cup men 's singles championship in 1977-8 .
Austria competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble , France .
East Germany ( German Democratic Republic ) competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble , France . East German athletes had competed together with West German athletes as the United Team of Germany in the previous three Winter Olympic Games , but both nations sent independent teams starting in 1968 .
Luge at the 1972 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Sapporo Teine . The competition took place between February 4 and February 7 , 1972 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo was held from 4 to 7 February , at Sapporo Teine .
Wolfgang Scheidel ( born 1 March 1943 ) is an East German former luger who won the gold medal in the men 's singles event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo . He also won three medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with one gold in the men 's doubles ( 1965 ) and two bronzes in the men 's singles ( 1969 , 1970 ) . He won a pair of silver medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL European Luge Championships ( 1970 , 1971 ) . After retiring from competitions Scheidel trained young lugers at ASK Oberhof until 1977 , and after that worked as a sports instructor in a recreation home of the National People 's Army . After the German reunification he ran an oxygen station in his home town of Ilmenau .
East Germany ( German Democratic Republic ) competed at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo , Japan .
Harald Ehrig ( born 6 November 1949 in Zwickau , Saxony ) is an East German former luger who competed from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s . He won the silver medal in the men 's singles event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo . Ehrig won two bronze medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL World Luge Championships ( 1973 , 1975 ) . He also won two medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL European Luge Championships with a gold in 1970 and a silver in 1972 .
Wolfram Fiedler ( 29 September 1951 - 11 April 1988 ) was an East German luger who competed from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s . He won two bronze medals at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo , earning them in the men 's singles and men 's doubles event , respectively . Fiedler also won two medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL World Luge Championships with a gold in 1975 and a silver in 1973 . He also won three medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL European Luge Championships with two golds ( 1972 , 1976 ) and one silver ( 1975 ) . Fiedler died of cancer in 1988 . The summer luge track in his hometown of Ilmenau was named in his honor the following year .
Luge at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck . The competition took place between February 4 and February 7 , 1976 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck was held from 4 to 7 February , at Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck . Silver medalist Josef Fendt is , as of 2014 , the current President of the International Luge Federation ( FIL ) .
Dettlef Günther ( sometimes shown as Detlef Günther , born 27 August 1954 in Erlabrunn , Saxony ) is an East German former luger who competed from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s . He won the gold medal in the men 's singles event at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck . At the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid , New York , Günther was favored to repeat after leading the first two runs , but crashed at the end of the third run causing him to lose three seconds and settling for fourth in the standings . Günther also won the gold medal in the men 's singles event at the 1979 FIL World Luge Championships in Königssee , West Germany . He also won two medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL European Luge Championships with a gold in 1975 and a silver in 1979 .
East Germany ( German Democratic Republic ) competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck , Austria .
Josef Fendt ( born 6 October 1947 in Berchtesgaden ) is the current president of the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course ( FIL ) . He was a West German-German luger who competed from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s . Competing in two Winter Olympics , he won the silver medal in the men 's singles event at Innsbruck in 1976 . Fendt also won two gold medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL World Luge Championships , earning them in 1970 and 1974 . Additionally , he won a silver medal in the men 's singles event at the 1973 FIL European Luge Championships in Königssee , West Germany . After his retirement from competitive luge , Fendt got active in the International Luge Federation ( FIL ) , being named Vice-President Sport for Artificial Track in 1985 , a position he stayed at until the death of FIL 's first president Bert Isatitsch in February 1994 . Fendt was appointed acting president of the FIL as a result , then elected full president in June of that year . Fendt 's sister , Andrea , won the silver medal in the women 's singles event at the 1978 FIL World Luge Championships in Imst , Austria . On Fendt 's 61st birthday in Munich , he received the Bundesverdienstkreuz Verdienstkreuz am Bande ( Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany ) for his contributions toward society , mainly in luge .
West Germany ( Federal Republic of Germany ) competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck , Austria .
Hans Rinn ( born 19 March 1953 in Langewiesen , Bezirk Suhl ) is an East German former luger who competed from the early 1970s to the early 1980s . He won three medals at the Winter Olympics , including two gold ( doubles : 1976 , 1980 ) and one bronze ( singles : 1976 ) . Rinn also won eight medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds ( singles : 1973 , 1977 , doubles : 1975 , 1977 ) , three silvers ( singles : 1974 , doubles : 1973 , 1979 ) , and one bronze ( 1978 ) . At the FIL European Luge Championships , Rinn won 13 medals . This included seven golds ( Men 's singles : 1973 , 1974 , 1979 ; Men 's doubles : 1973 , 1975 , 1978 , 1980 ) , six silvers ( Men 's singles : 1977 , 1978 ; Men 's doubles : 1974 , 1977 , 1979 , 1982 ) , and one bronze ( Men 's singles : 1975 ) . Rinn was inducted into the International Luge Federation Hall of Fame in 2005 along with Josef Feistmantl .
Luge at the 1980 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Mt . Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bobsled Run . The competition took place between February 13 and February 16 , 1980 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid was held from 13 to 16 February , at Mt . Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bobsled Run .
Bernhard Glass ( born 6 November 1957 ) is an East German former luger who competed in the late 1970s and early 1980s . He won the gold medal in the men 's singles event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid , New York . Glass also won a bronze medal in the men 's singles event at the 1979 FIL European Luge Championships in Oberhof , East Germany . After his retirement from luge as an athlete , Glass became a luge coach . Among his famous pupils in luge were Silke Kraushaar , Tatjana Hüfner , and David Möller while others who started in luge , but later went to bobsleigh included André Lange and Sandra Kiriasis . In July 2010 , Glass became a coach of the Canadian Luge Association .
East Germany ( German Democratic Republic ) competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid , United States .
Paul Hildgartner ( born 8 June 1952 in Chienes ) is an Italian luger who competed from the early 1970s to the late 1980s . Competing in five Winter Olympics , he earned two gold medals ( Men 's doubles : 1972 , Men 's singles : 1984 ) and one silver medal ( Men 's singles : 1980 ) for his efforts . At the 1984 Winter Olympics , Hildgartner carried the Italian flag during the opening ceremonies .
Italy competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid , United States .
Anton Winkler ( 23 February 1954 - 8 October 2016 ) was a West German luger who competed during the late 1970s and early 1980s . He won the bronze medal in the men 's singles event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid , New York . Winkler also won three medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with a silver ( singles : 1978 ) and two bronzes ( singles : 1977 , doubles : 1979 ) . Additionally , he won a gold medal in the men 's singles event at the 1977 FIL European Luge Championships in Königssee , West Germany . Winkler was the first men 's singles Luge World Cup overall champion in 1977-78 . Winkler died on 8 October 2016 .
West Germany ( Federal Republic of Germany ) competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid , United States .
Luge at the 1984 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track . The competition took place between February 9 and February 12 , 1984 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo was held from 9 to 12 February , at Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track .
Italy competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo , Yugoslavia ( now Bosnia ) .
Sergey Danilin ( born 1 January 1960 ) was a Soviet luger who competed from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s . Competing in four Winter Olympics , he earned the silver medal in the men 's singles event at Sarajevo in 1984 . Danilin also won a complete medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL World Luge Championships with a gold in 1981 , a silver in 1983 , and a bronze in 1987 . He also won a pair of bronze medals in the mixed team event ( 1989 , 1990 ) . Danilin also won two medals in the men 's singles event at the FIL European Luge Championships with a gold in 1986 and a silver in 1982 . His best finish in the overall men 's singles Luge World Cup was second twice ( 1981-2 , 1982-3 ) . Danilin married fellow Soviet luger Nadejda Danilina in 1986 .
The Soviet Union ( USSR ) competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo , Yugoslavia .
Valery Dudin ( born August 20 , 1963 ) was a Soviet luger who competed during the 1980s . He earned the bronze medal in the men 's singles event at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo .
Luge at the 1988 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Canada Olympic Park . The competition took place between February 14 and February 19 , 1988 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary was held on 14 and 15 February , at Canada Olympic Park .
Jens Müller ( born 6 July 1965 in Torgau , Bezirk Leipzig ) is an East German-German luger who competed from 1985 to 2001 . He won two medals at the Winter Olympics in men 's singles with a gold at Calgary in 1988 and a bronze at Nagano in 1998 . Müller started for the ASK Vorwärts Oberhof and the BSR Rennsteig Oberhof . During his career , he won 14 medals at the FIL World Luge Championships , including four gold ( Men 's singles : 2000 , Mixed team : 1990 , 1991 , 1995 ) , seven silvers ( Men 's singles : 1987 , 1989 , 1999 ; Mixed team : 1989 , 1996 , 1997 , 2000 ) , and three bronzes ( Men 's singles : 1985 , 1990 , 1996 ) . At the FIL European Luge Championships , Müller won eight medals . This included five golds ( Men 's singles : 1996 , 2000 ; Mixed team : 1990 , 1996 , 1998 ) , two silvers ( Men 's singles : 1986 ; Mixed team : 1988 ) , and one bronze ( Men 's singles : 1990 ) . In Luge World Cup , Müller 's best overall finish in men 's singles was second three times ( 1988-9 , 1996-7 , 1999-2000 ) . Since 1988 he is an honorary citizen of Ilmenau , Thuringia . Müller is also a skeleton coach , working with such racers as Diane Sartor and Kerstin Jürgens .
East Germany ( German Democratic Republic ) competed at the Winter Olympic Games for the last time at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary , Alberta , Canada . Following German reunification in 1990 , a single German team would compete in the 1992 Winter Olympics .
Georg Hackl ( born 9 September 1966 ) is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion . He is known affectionately as Hackl-Schorsch or as the Speeding Weißwurst a reference to what he looks like in his white bodysuit coming down the luge at fast speeds . Hackl was born in Berchtesgaden , Bavaria . He took up luge as part of his physical education lessons whilst at school , learning to slide at the Königssee track . Hackl was known for his rivalry with Markus Prock , with Prock being dominant in World Cup competition whilst Hackl consistently achieved success at the Winter Olympics . Although Hackl was not as natural an athlete as Prock , he was noted as being extremely skilled at setting up his sled to suit particular ice conditions on a given day . In addition his coach and former luger Thomas Schwab highlighted Hackl 's mental strength as being key to his success . He won his first Winter Olympic Games luge medal in 1988 in Calgary , when he finished second in the singles event , while placing fourth in the doubles . Four years later , he improved his performance to win the gold , a feat he repeated in 1994 and 1998 . In 1998 , he won the gold by clocking the fastest time in all four runs , the first in Olympic history in the men 's singles to do so ( Vera Zozula of the Soviet Union did that feat in the women 's singles event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid , New York ) . That year he was named as German Sportsman of the Year . Hackl won the silver medal again in the 2002 Games , becoming the first Winter Olympian to win a medal in five consecutive Winter Olympics .
West Germany ( Federal Republic of Germany ) competed at the Winter Olympic Games for the last time as a separate nation at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary , Alberta , Canada . Following German reunification in 1990 , a single German team would compete in the 1992 Winter Olympics .
Yuri Kharchenko ( born October 11 , 1963 ) is a Soviet luger who competed during the mid to late 1980s . He won the bronze medal in the men 's singles event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary . Kharchenko also won a bronze in the mixed team event at the 1989 FIL World Luge Championships in Winterberg , West Germany . His best overall finish in the Luge World Cup was second in the men 's singles in 1987-8 .
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( Soviet Union ) competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary , Alberta , Canada . It would be the last Winter Olympic Games before the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 . Six of the former Soviet republics would compete together as the Unified Team at the 1992 Winter Olympics , and each republic would be independently represented at subsequent Games .
Luge at the 1992 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at La Plagne . The competition took place between February 9 and February 12 , 1992 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville was held on 9 and 10 February , at La Plagne .
Germany competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville , France . It was the first time that the nation had competed at the Olympic Games following reunification in 1990 . Previously , West Germany and East Germany had sent independent teams to the Games .
Markus Prock ( born 22 June 1964 ) is an Austrian luger who competed between 1983 and 2002 . Born in Innsbruck , Prock competed in six Winter Olympics winning three medals in the men 's singles event with two silvers ( 1992 , 1994 ) and one bronze ( 2002 ) . Prock grew up in the village of Mieders in the Stubaital . His parents managed a petrol station and a pension . He competed in several sports in his youth , ski racing , playing football and sprinting , achieving personal bests of 22.8s for the 200m and 50.9s for the 400m whilst in high school . He took up luge after racing in a competition for teenagers held at Igls . Prock was known for his rivalry with Georg Hackl , with Prock being dominant in World Cup competition whilst Hackl consistently achieved success at the Winter Olympics . Prock was noted for his athleticism and his powerful start . At the FIL World Luge Championships , Prock won 13 medals , including five gold ( Men 's singles : 1987 , 1996 ; Mixed team : 1996 , 1997 , 1999 ) , four silvers ( Men 's singles : 1990 , 1997 ; Mixed team : 1991 , 1993 ) , and four bronzes ( Men 's singles : 1995 , 2001 ; Mixed team : 1995 , 2001 ) . Prock won ten medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with five in men 's singles ( gold : 1994 , 1998 , 2002 ; silver : 1988 , 1990 ) and five medals in the mixed team event ( silver : 1992 , 1996 ; bronze : 1994 , 1998 , 2002 ) . He also won the overall Luge World Cup ten times in men 's singles ( 1987-8 , 1990-1 , 1991-2 , 1992-3 , 1993-4 , 1994-5 , 1995-6 , 1996-7 , 1998-9 , 2001-2 ) . After retiring from competition , Prock was appointed as sporting director of the Austrian Luge Federation in 2002 .
Austria competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville , France .
Markus Schmidt ( born October 23 , 1968 ) is an Austrian luger who competed between 1987 and 1997 . Competing in two Winter Olympics , he earned a bronze medal in the men 's singles event at Albertville in 1992 . Schmidt also won two medals in the mixed team event at the FIL World Luge Championships with a gold in 1996 and a silver in 1991 . He also won two silver medals in the mixed team event at the 1992 FIL European Luge Championships in Winterberg , Germany and 1996 FIL European Luge Championships in Sigulda , Latvia , bronze medal in the mixed team event at the 1994 FIL European Luge Championships in Königssee , Germany and bronze medal in the men 's singles event at the 1996 FIL European Luge Championships in Sigulda , Latvia .
Luge at the 1994 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track . The competition took place between February 13 and February 16 , 1994 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer was held on 13 and 14 February , at Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track .
Germany at the 1994 Winter Olympics . 112 athletes , 79 men and 33 women participated in 11 sports . Germany came third in the medal rankings with 9 gold , 7 silver and 8 bronze medals . The biathlete Mark Kirchner was Germany 's flagbearer under the opening ceremony .
Austria competed at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer , Norway .
Armin Zöggeler OMRI ( born 4 January 1974 ) is a retired Italian luger and double Olympic champion . He is one of the most successful men in the sport , nicknamed Il Cannibale ( The Cannibal ) , for his notable series of victories , or The Iceblood Champion , for his always cold , rational approach to the races . Fellow luger Tucker West described Zöggeler as the sport 's equivalent of Michael Jordan . At the Winter Olympic Games , Zöggeler has won six medals in six consecutive Olympics - and this is a record in sport . He also has sixteen medals at the FIL World Luge Championships . At the FIL European Luge Championships , Zöggeler has earned eighteen medals . In June 2019 he was inducted in the FIL Hall of Fame .
Italy competed at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer , Norway .
Luge at the 1998 Winter Olympics consisted of three events at Spiral . The competition took place between February 8 and February 11 , 1998 .
The men 's singles luge competition at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano was held on 8 and 9 February , at Spiral .
Germany competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano , Japan .
Italy competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano , Japan .
The Luge competition at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games was held at Utah Olympic Park in Park City . Three events were staged , taking place from February 10 to February 14 .
The men 's luge at the 2002 Winter Olympics began on February 10 , and was completed on February 11 at Utah Olympic Park .
Italy competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , United States . With Torino being the host of the 2006 Winter Olympics , an Italian segment was played at the closing ceremony .
Germany competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , United States . In terms of gold metals , Germany finished ranking second with 12 gold medals . Meanwhile , the 36 total medals won by German athletes were the most of any nation at these Games , as well at any Winter Olympics , until this record was broken by the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics .
Austria competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , United States .
The Luge competition at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games was held at Cesana Pariol in Cesana , Italy . Three events were staged , taking place from February 11 to February 15 . These were the first games where a qualifying system was used to determine the enterants into the games .
The men 's luge at the 2006 Winter Olympics began on February 11 , and was completed on February 12 at Cesana Pariol .
Italy was the host nation for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin . It was the second time that Italy had hosted the Winter Games ( after the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo ) and the third time overall ( after the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome ) . Italy 's flag bearer for the opening ceremony was figure skater Carolina Kostner . Kostner 's cousin , Isolde Kostner , was Italy 's flag bearer at the 2002 Winter Olympics .
Albert Mikhailovich Demchenko ( Russian : Альберт Михайлович Демченко ; born 27 November 1971 ) is a Russian luger who competed from 1992 to 2014 . He is currently coaching the Russian luge team . His daughter Victoria Demchenko is also a luger .
Russia participated at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , Italy . It sent a total of 190 athletes to participate in all 15 of the Winter Olympic sports . Dmitry Dorofeev , a speed skater , served as flag bearer at the opening ceremonies .
Mārtiņš Rubenis ( born 26 September 1978 ) is a retired Latvian luger who competed between 1998 and 2014 . He won the bronze medal at the men 's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , becoming the first Latvian ( i.e . representing Republic of Latvia ) to win a medal at the Winter Olympics and the only one from Latvia at the 2006 Winter Olympics . Following this he was chosen as Latvian Sportsman of the Year for 2006 . He won his second bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi in the Team Relay event . In total he competed in five Olympics . Rubenis has also won the gold medal at the 1998 World Junior Championships , as well as the silver and bronze medals at the 2003 and 2004 World Championships respectively . He also won three medals in the Team Relay event at the FIL European Luge Championships with a golds in 2008 and 2010 , and a bronze in 2006 . Rubenis retired after the 2014 Winter Olympics . He announced his retirement after the men 's event , in which he finished 10th , yet a few days later Rubenis won a bronze medal being a part of the Latvian Relay Team . As a result , he and his team-mates in the relay squad were featured on a commemorative stamp issued by Latvian Post . Following his retirement , he was appointed as coach of the Latvian national luge team , and additionally uses his skills as a mechanical engineer to design sleds for the team , having already made his own sleds whilst competing .
Latvia competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , Italy . Mārtiņš Rubenis won Latvia 's first Winter Olympic medal .
The luge competition events of the 2010 Winter Olympics were held between 13 and 17 February 2010 at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler , British Columbia , Canada .
The men 's luge at the 2010 Winter Olympics took place on 13-14 February 2010 at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler , British Columbia . Germany 's Felix Loch was the two-time defending world champion and won the gold medal with the fastest time in each of the four runs . The test event that took place at the venue was won by Germany 's David Möller , who would win the silver medal in this event . Italy 's Armin Zöggeler was the two-time defending Olympic champion and won a bronze medal in this event . The last World Cup event prior to the 2010 games took place in Cesana , Italy on 30 January 2010 and was won by Zöggeler , who also won the overall World Cup title . As a consequence of the training accident that killed Nodar Kumaritashvili on 12 February 2010 officials moved the start of the men 's singles competition to the women's/doubles start to reduce the speed of the racers . This change was met with mixed reviews , with some participants saying that the change made them feel safer , while others complained that it gave an advantage to stronger starters .
Felix Loch ( German pronunciation : [ ˈfeːlɪks ˈlɔx ] ; born 24 July 1989 ) is a German luger and Olympic champion . He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006 . He has won fourteen medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with twelve golds ( Men 's singles : 2008 , 2009 , 2012 , 2013 , 2015 , 2016 ; Men 's sprint 2016 : Mixed team event : 2008 , 2009 , 2012 , 2013 , 2015 , 2016 ) and two silvers ( Men 's singles : 2011 , 2015 ) . Loch 's men 's singles win in 2008 made him the youngest world champion ever at 18 years old . He is the youngest Olympic Gold Medalist in men 's luge history . As of 2014 , Loch is a triple Olympic gold medalist .
Germany participated at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada . 153 athletes represented Germany , entering all 15 sports . Figure skater Sarah Hecken ( aged 16 ) was the youngest team member , while Curling European Champion Andrea Schöpp was the oldest at 44 . Three time Olympic champion André Lange ( bobsleigh ) was the flagbearer at the opening ceremony on 12 February 2010 . German athletes earned €15,000 for a gold medal , €10,000 for a silver , and €7,500 for a bronze .
David Möller ( also spelled Moeller , born 13 January 1982 ) is a German former luger who competed from 2001 to 2014 . He won six medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with four golds ( Men 's singles : 2004 , 2007 ; Mixed team : 2004 , 2007 ) , one silver ( Men 's singles : 2008 ) , and one bronze ( Men 's singles : 2005 ) Möller also won four medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with one gold ( Mixed team : 2006 ) , one silver ( Men 's singles : 2004 ) , and two bronzes ( Men 's singles : 2006 , 2008 ) . He also finished fifth in the men 's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino and won the silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver . Möller 's best Luge World Cup overall finish was second three times ( 2005-6 , 2006-7 , 2007-8 ) . On 18 January 2009 , Möller suffered a cruciate ligament rupture while training in Oberhof . He underwent surgery for the rupture in Munich at the end of February . Möller underwent physical rehabilitation in early 2009 to prepare for the 2009-10 Luge World Cup and Winter Olympics in Vancouver to which he qualified . After he competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi , his third Games , he announced his retirement from competition . Outside of luge , he works for the German Federal Police .
Italy participated at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada .
Luge at the 2014 Winter Olympics was held at the Sliding Center Sanki near Krasnaya Polyana , Russia . The four events were scheduled for 8-13 February 2014 . In April 2011 the International Olympic Committee approved the addition of the mixed team relay event ( one sled from each of the other three events compete per country ) , meaning luge will have four events on the program for the first time . In December 2017 , IOC concluded that two Russian lugers Albert Demchenko and Tatiana Ivanova had committed an anti-doping violation and stripped Russia of 2 silver medals . In January 2018 , both athletes successfully appealed against the IOC decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and both medals were returned to Russia .
The men 's luge at the 2014 Winter Olympics was held between 8-9 February 2014 at the Sliding Center Sanki in Rzhanaya Polyana , Russia . Germany 's Felix Loch was the two-time defending world champion and won the gold medal with the fastest time in two of the four runs . The test event that took place at the venue was won by Germany 's Andi Langenhan . Loch was also the defending Olympic champion . On December 22 , 2017 Albert Demchenko of Russia was banned for doping violations and his silver medal was stripped . On 1 February 2018 , his results were restored as a result of the successful appeal .
Germany competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi , Russia , from 7 to 23 February 2014 . The first round of nominations was on 18 December , the second round on 23 January . Germany sent 153 athletes ( 76 men , 77 women ) . Chef de Mission was Michael Vesper . The outfitting was held in January at the Erding Air Base . During the Games , Germany had a German House , that was located in the village of Estosadok , on the Mzymta River , 4 kilometers ( 2.5 mi ) upstream from Krasnaya Polyana ( Mountain Cluster ) . German president Joachim Gauck did not attend the 2014 Winter Olympics . He has not said publicly that the decision was a political gesture . On 21 February it was announced that biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle had tested positive for methylhexanamine and was sent home from Sochi .
Russia competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi , from 7 to 23 February 2014 as the host nation . As host , Russia participated in all 15 sports , with a team consisting of 232 athletes . It is Russia 's largest Winter Olympics team to date . In preparation for the Games Russian Olympic Committee naturalized a Korean-born short-track speed-skater Ahn Hyun-soo and an American-born snowboarder Vic Wild . They won a total of 5 golds and 1 bronze in Sochi . Russia 's medal count in 2014 , 33 ( before doping disqualifications ) , was its highest ever in the Winter Olympics , improving on the 1994 Games , when the Russian team earned 23 medals overall , also beating the Soviet Union 's best medal count ever at the Winter Olympics . Bobsledder Aleksandr Zubkov was the flag bearer of the Russian team in the Parade of Nations during the opening ceremony . Following the Games , it was discovered that Russia 's performance has been aided by a wider state-sponsored doping program . On December 9 , 2016 Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren published the second part of his independent report . The investigation found that from 2011 to 2015 , more than 1,000 Russian competitors in various sports ( including summer , winter , and Paralympic sports ) benefited from the cover-up . At the end of 2017 , IOC disqualified 43 Russian athletes and stripped Russia from 13 Sochi medals on doping accusations , but Court of Arbitration for Sport nullified 28 out of 43 disqualifications because of insufficient evidence and returned 9 out of 13 medals . In particular , on November 1 , 2017 cross-country skiers Evgeniy Belov and gold and silver medalist Alexander Legkov became the first athletes to be disqualified for doping violations after an investigation was completed .
Italy competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi , Russia , from 7 to 23 February 2014 . On 21 February it was announced that bobsledder William Frullani had tested positive for methylhexanamine and was sent home from Sochi . For the first time since 1980 , Italy failed to win a gold medal in an Olympics . Closest was the alpine skier Christof Innerhofer who lost the gold in downhill against Matthias Mayer of Austria with only six hundredths of a second separating the two .
Luge at the 2018 Winter Olympics was held at the Alpensia Sliding Centre near Pyeongchang , South Korea . A total of four luge events were held , between 10 and 15 February 2018 .
The men 's luge at the 2018 Winter Olympics was held between 10 and 11 February 2018 at the Alpensia Sliding Centre near Pyeongchang , South Korea . The event was won by David Gleirscher , who became the first Austrian to win men 's luge since 1968 . Chris Mazdzer won the silver medal , whereas Johannes Ludwig won the bronze . For all of them , this was the first Olympic medal , and the Mazdzer 's medal is the first ever medal for the United States in men 's singles luge . This is the first time since 1988 than none of the medalists in men 's luge had a medal of previous Olympics . The favorite and the defending Olympic champion , Felix Loch , was leading the field after three runs , but in the last run made a mistake which cost him a medal .
David Gleirscher ( born 23 July 1994 ) is an Austrian luger . He competed for Austria in the 2015-16 Luge World Cup in the men 's singles and finished tenth in the points standings . In men 's luge at the 2018 Winter Olympics he became a surprise champion after the favorite , Felix Loch , made a mistake in the last run and dropped out of the medals . Prior to the Olympic win , Gleirscher did not have a single World Cup podium appearance .
Austria competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang , South Korea , from 9 to 25 February 2018 , with 105 competitors in 12 sports . They won 14 medals in total : five gold , three silver and six bronze ; ranking 10th in the medal table .
Christopher Chris Mazdzer ( /ˈmæzdər/ ; born June 26 , 1988 ) is an American luger who has been active internationally since 2001 . He competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi , finishing 13th on both occasions . At the 2018 Winter Olympics Mazdzer won the silver medal in the Men 's Single Luge , becoming the first U.S. men 's singles luge medalist and is the first and currently only non-European to win a medal in that event .
The United States of America competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang , South Korea , from February 9 to 25 , 2018 . The United States had its worst showing at a Winter Olympics since the 1998 Nagano Games , ranking out of the top three in both the gold and total medal count with 9 and 23 medals respectively , and finished fourth in both rankings . However , there were some notable successes for the team . Jessica Diggins and Kikkan Randall won the first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing ever for the United States in the women 's team sprint event . Skip John Shuster led his team to the United States ' first-ever gold medal in curling , winning the men 's curling over Sweden . The United States women 's national ice hockey team also won the gold in the women 's ice hockey tournament for the first time since the inauguration of the sport in 1998 over the four-time defending gold medalist Canada in an overtime penalty shootout . The United States earned medals in at least one event in 11 different sports , the most of any nation . These Games also witnessed the 100th Winter Olympic gold medal for the Americans , won by Shaun White .
Johannes Ludwig ( born 14 February 1986 ) is a German luger who has competed since 1996 . He won a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the FIL European Luge Championships 2010 in Sigulda . At the 2018 Winter Olympics , held in Pyeongchang , South Korea , Ludwig won the bronze medal in the men 's singles luge and the gold in the team relay luge , along with his teammates Natalie Geisenberger , Tobias Wendl , and Tobias Arlt .
Germany competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang , South Korea , from 9 to 25 February 2018 , with 153 competitors in 14 sports . They won 31 medals in total , 14 gold , 10 silver and 7 bronze , ranking second in the medal table after Norway at the 2018 Winter Olympics . Germany excelled in ice track events ( 11 medals ) , biathlon ( 7 medals ) , Nordic combined ( 5 medals ) and Ski jumping ( 4 medals ) . The men 's ice hockey team took a silver medal , having lost a closely contested final to Olympic Athletes from Russia .