Adam Ammour amazed the bobsleigh world and was crowned European champion. Can a 22-year-old of all people break into Friedrich and Lochner’s phalanx with his brother?
Once you win, you don’t believe it. And that’s why Adam Ammour simply did it twice. The 22-year-old youngster won his first Bobsleigh World Cup in Sigulda on Saturday and a day later he was also crowned European champion.
“Incredible”, “sensational”: Lochner and the national coach are amazed
With a track record in the second round, Adam and his brother Issam Ammour drove from fourth place to the top, past the big favorites Johannes Lochner and Francesco Friedrich. Defending champion Lochner was deeply impressed: “Respect to Adam. What he has shown here is sensational.”
National coach René Spies couldn’t hide his amazement at the European Championship coup: “It’s actually unbelievable what the boy has done here. We know that he has what it takes, but you have to be able to recall it first. A crazy result.” The Ammour brothers won by six hundredths ahead of the Swiss duo Michael Vogt/Sandro Michel and Lochner/Bruckert (+0.07s).
Ammour: Ex-gymnast becomes bobsleigh pilot
Ammour’s triumph is surprising because the Hessian’s career was rather unusual. Adam Ammour originally pursued his passion in gymnastics until he broke his wrist at a young age and was forced to give up.
His brother Issam, who is eight years older than him and who, as a former sprinter, had only started bobsleighing in 2015, took Adam to the ice track. It was supposed to be the foundation for the Ammour team, which officially only existed this season. Issam Ammour was previously employed by other drivers, for example Richard Oelsner.
Brothers’ oath kept
“Issam made me a promise – if I achieve what we agreed on, he will push my sleigh,” Adam said at the end of last winter. The pilot fulfilled his part with gold and silver at the Junior World Championships – and Issam consequently moved to Adam’s team.
“The pilot is the boss and that is clear to me as an experienced pusher,” says Issam Ammour, who shares his pushing position in a pair with Benedikt Hertel: “I’ve been driving bobsleigh since 2015 and Adam knows that too. That’s why he likes to ask my opinion.” The two also receive support from their brothers Karim and Ilias, who accompanied them to Japan during the summer preparations, among other things.
In general, family cohesion is exemplary. We all respect each other and also ask our siblings or parents at home for advice. (…) And what’s very important: I don’t have to mince words about all of this, I just talk about what’s going on, and that makes finding a solution much quicker.
Model athletes set new standards
Another plus point for the duo is their physique. The sports soldiers are model athletes and they proudly show that on their Instagram channels. They benefit from their previous sports in terms of speed and endurance and can make full use of their advantages when pushing at the start.
So it’s no surprise that the Ammour team is already at the top in their first season together. In all races in which Adam Ammour competed with Issam or Hertel, the duo came into the top 10. With three third places behind Friedrich and Lochner, Ammour indicated that the dominators can be beaten – and now impressively proved in Sigulda that it is possible is.
Home World Cup just around the corner: “Keep going at full throttle”
“You couldn’t have imagined the weekend better. In the end it even became a track record,” Adam Ammour rejoiced on Sunday: “Because I was there with my brother, it feels even better.” The shooting stars now want to take the momentum from Sigulda with them to the World Cup in Winterberg (February 24th to March 3rd). Before that, the dress rehearsal awaits in Altenberg.
“You don’t have much time to rest and think”said the newly crowned European champion with a view to the remaining races. The goal is clear – even if Adam Ammour has not yet stated it specifically: “We’ll keep going at full throttle and hopefully that’ll be enough for a good placement again.”