| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Italian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1969-01-03)3 January 1969 (age 56) Bolzano, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 166 cm (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Luge Bobsleigh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | G.S. Forestale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gerda WeissensteinerOMRI (born 3 January 1969) is an Italianluger andbobsleigh pilot who competed from the late 1980s to 2006. Competing in sixWinter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles luge event at the1994 Winter Olympics inLillehammer, and together withJennifer Isacco she won the bronze inTurin in the two-woman bobsleigh at the2006 Winter Olympics. She was the first Italian sportsperson to win Olympic medals in two disciplines.[1]
Weissensteiner was introduced to luge by her uncle at the age of seven, initially sledding onnatural luge tracks.[1] She won a World Junior Luge Championship title in 1988.[2]
Weissensteiner won eleven medals at theFIL World Luge Championships, including two gold (Women's singles:1993, Mixed team:1989), three silvers (Women's singles: 1989, Mixed team:1990,1995), and six bronzes (Women's singles: 1995,1996; Mixed team:1991, 1993, 1996,1997).
She was also won seven medals at theFIL European Luge Championships with two golds (Mixed team and Women's singles: both in1994), two silvers (Women's singles:1990; Mixed team:1998), and three bronzes (Mixed team:1988,1990,1996).
Weissensteiner won the overallLuge World Cup title in women's singles twice (1992–3, 1997–8). She took a total of 13 wins, eight second places and eight third places in World Cup races. She was also the flagbearer at the opening ceremonies of the1998 Winter Olympics inNagano. Her Olympic triumph was dampened by the death of her brother in a car accident a few days later: during his funeral, a burglar broke into Weissensteiner's home and stole her gold medal. Following the Games she retired from luge, becoming a youth luge coach.[1]
Weissensteiner returned to sledding as a bobsleigh pilot in 2001. She finished seventh in the 2-woman bobsleigh (with the formerbikerAntonella Bellutti, a gold medalist intrack cycling) at the 2002 Winter Olympics. After the 2002 Games she teamed up with sprinter Jennifer Isacco, who she competed with until her retirement from the sport.[1] Their best finish in theBobsleigh World Cup was third twice in the two-woman event. (2002–3, 2003-4 (tied withGermany'sSusi Erdmann)). She finished sixth in the 2-woman bobsleigh event at the2005 FIBT World Championships inCalgary, Alberta,Canada. The following year, Weissensteiner and Isacco finished second in theEuropean Championships,[2] and Weissensteiner joined Erdmann as being one of only two sledders to win a medal in bothbobsleigh andluge at the Winter Olympics.
She retired from all competition after the 2006 Winter Olympics inTurin. That year she was appointed as a Knight of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic. In addition she has arhododendron named after her:[3] this was part of a collaboration between theAccademia dei Georgofili and theItalian National Olympic Committee to name anazalea after each medal winner at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the2006 Winter Paralympics.[4] Subsequently, she returned to youth coaching in luge as well as working as apress officer for the Italian Luge Federation.[2]
Related | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
