Ralf Palik announces retirement

Berchtesgaden (RWH) The German luge athlete Ralf Palik, runner-up in the men’s singles World Championships in 2016, has announced his retirement from the track. The athlete (28) failed to qualify for the German team for the 2018/2019 Viessmann World Cup and also missed out on the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang (KOR) last season. “I have personally made the decision to bring my career to an end. I don’t really think there are any prospects left for me in the sport and want to concentrate on my plan B,” said Palik, who is now keen to focus on his degree in psychology.

As well as winning World Championship silver in 2016, Palik also won bronze in the first ever Sprint World Championships. The athlete – a member of the German army’s sports programme – owns a full set of medals from the International Luge Federation’s European Championships. At the 2017 European Championships in Königssee, Rolf Palik won both a gold and silver medal (one team, one individual). The Erfurt-based athlete also won a bronze at the 2016 event in Altenberg.