Two German bobsleigh legends, one last big duel: Johannes Lochner and Francesco Friedrich are fighting for World Cup victories and Olympic gold in what will probably be their last season together. The bobsleigh pilots start the Olympic winter this weekend. The first World Cup stop in Cortina d’Ampezzo allows them to get a taste of the Olympic air.
Johannes Lochner is experiencing a second spring before the Olympic season: “I’m having more fun bobsledding than I have in a long time”says Lochner. He actually wanted to end his career after the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, but the 2023 World Championship title gave him so much motivation that he extended his career until the Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Now the five-time bobsleigh world champion is chasing his last big mission in Cortina: the missing Olympic gold medal. But after that it’s really over: “I’m looking forward to a regular everyday life and being with my wife all year round – not just six months“, he emphasizes at the beginning of November. This season is his farewell tour.
Biggest competitor Francesco Friedrich
Lochner’s biggest competitor is the German bobsleigh dominator Francesco Friedrich, who has already achieved what Lochner still dreams of with four Olympic gold medals. The record world champion also holds the record for the most World Cup victories and still drives with the same motivation as he did 13 years ago, when his long and successful career began.
Doping case in Friedrich’s team
There was a setback last season due to the positive doping tests of his pusher Simon Wulf, who was banned for 21 months. But Friedrich is looking forward and is especially looking forward to the season highlight in February in the Alps.
New Olympic track in Cortina
This season the World Cup will start on the new Olympic track in Cortina. According to Friedrich, after the first test and training runs, the track seems to be technically demanding, especially in the first few corners, and very consistent as it progresses. “I have a very, very good feeling because the train suits me and I got along very well there“, the Saxon draws his first conclusion. Bobsleigh colleague Lochner also had fun on the new track in the first training sessions: “In Cortina, compared to Beijing, the rhythm is a little funnier, it’s really fun to ride bobsleds.”