Keep going for the doubles winner: Francesco Friedrich also had plenty of support from far away at home for his historic Olympic triumph in four-man bobsleigh. In his native town of Pirna, almost 100 fans crossed their fingers at the nightly public viewing when the Saxon, after winning the two-man race in China, also won the race in the large sled.
Early Sunday morning in the Pirna boathouse, brother David and grandpa Horst also trembled in front of a large screen, flags and pennants were waved, and there was great cheering at the decision. “Shortly before the start, the pulse went up, you could feel the tension,” said David Friedrich to “SID”: “It was crazy, that was a lot of support, everyone was very euphoric.”
Friedrich, who has long been a record winner at world championships and in the World Cup, won his fourth Olympic gold medal. Only Germany’s bobsled icon Andre Lange had done that before. “I definitely think that means something to him,” said his brother: “And I hope that in four years he can do one more.”