Calgary (pps) Even Georg Hackl felt something like melancholy. Germany’s three-time
Olympic champion ultimately closed his personal chapter headed Calgary by finishing
runner-up in the men’s event of the Viessmann Luge World Cup on the 1988 Olympic track
last Saturday. „That was my last descent in Calgary“, 39-year-old Hackl announced. About
18 years ago, Hackl had started his extraordinary career at the age of 21 by achieving the
Olympic silver medal, the first of his now altogether five Olympic medals, and laid the basis
for the “Hackl legend”. At the 1988 Olympics another German, Jens Mueller, won the event,
last Saturday Russia’s Albert Demchenko stood on the top of the podium.
“It has always been great fun for me to race in Calgary“, Hackl said, looking back on his last
week on the artificially-iced track at Canada Olympic Park: “It included everything once
again: cold, wind, high temperatures, various sled set-ups – simply everything that makes
luging interesting.”
“Schorsch” Hackl has many good memories of Calgary. In 1990 he won the second of his
altogether three World titles there, as well as the 1993 and 2001 World silver medals. In
1993 US American Wendel Suckow prevented Hackl from winning, eight years later his long-time
rival Armin Zoeggeler of Italy. In the Viessmann Luge World Cup Hackl recorded two
victories, two second and two third places each in Calgary.
On the background of such an impressive record, the Federal Army soldier could easily get
over the rather unsuccessful appearance with the German team. „I could have done without
that“, Hackl said after finishing in sixth position together with Tatjana Huefner and the
doubles Andre Florschuetz-Torsten Wustlich.
The most successful luger of all times went back home after Calgary on Monday and did not
go on to Lake Placid. “That’s a waste of time for me”, Hackl said referring to the flat start on
the track at the 1932 and 1980 Olympic city. He wants to continue his “Therapy” as he calls
it. After all, Torino and his sixth Olympic participation are enticing.
In Calgary, Georg Hackl closed only one chapter of the book of his career, more are to
follow.
