Wolfgang Kindl – The All-Rounder in Luge
One athlete, three disciplines, an extraordinary career
Innsbruck (FIL/22 Sep 2025) Wolfgang Kindl has achieved what many only dream of. He is currently the only luge athlete to compete in three disciplines at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cups – in the Men's singles, Men's doubles, and Team-relay.
The Tyrolean is not only making national but also international sporting history.
The beginnings and the long road to the top
Wolfgang Kindl, born on April 18, 1988, in Innsbruck (Austria), began his international career in luge in 2007. His talent was evident early on: at the 2010 European Championships in Sigulda (Latvia), he won silver in the Men's singles and with the Team-relay. However, his journey to success was filled with challenges. He suffered setbacks time and again but fought his way back with patience and determination.
For years, Kindl was among the world's luge singles elite, finishing on the overall World Cup podium several times in ten World Cup seasons and winning eleven singles World Cup races. In 2017, he became a two-time world champion. The Tyrolean won the singles and sprint on his home track in Innsbruck-Igls. In 2022, he became European champion in the Swiss winter sports resort of St. Moritz.
His biggest dream came true in Beijing in 2022: after three Olympic attempts, each of which ended with a ninth place, Kindl won silver in the singles – and shortly afterwards a second silver medal with the Austrian team relay.
Since the 2023/2024 season, Wolfi Kindl has also been competing in the doubles with Thomas Steu from Vorarlberg, where the pair won the overall World Cup in their very first winter together.
The historic double victory in Pyeongchang
The winter of 2024/25 was a very special one for Wolfgang Kindl. At first, everything seemed lost: shortly before the start of the season, he fell ill with glandular fever. For weeks, his training was in jeopardy. But Kindl fought his way back – and how!
On February 15, 2025, in Pyeongchang, he achieved something historic: first he won the doubles with pilot Thomas Steu, and just two hours later he also took victory in the singles. A double victory that only four athletes had achieved before him since 1977. “I was really nervous at the start,” he admitted later, “but it's a wonderful day.”
This triumph was not only a personal breakthrough, but also a sporting milestone: Kindl proved that he is one of the greats in his discipline – versatile, strong-willed, and tireless.
More than an individual athlete
Kindl's story also shows how the sport of luge is changing.
Traditionally, luge has been considered a specialized individual sport. But Kindl is an athlete who pushes boundaries. In the doubles with Thomas Steu, he demonstrates how to work together, build timing and trust. In the team relay, he also brings his Olympic spirit to bear – as part of a generation that is shaping Austrian luge.
Looking ahead – Milano Cortina 2026
The focus is already on the future: Wolfgang Kindl wants to make history again at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina – and compete in all three disciplines. This would give him the chance to become the first luger ever to win Olympic medals in the singles, doubles, and Team-relay events.
Wolfgang Kindl is more than just an athlete. He is a versatile, fighter and a pioneer of modern luge. His career is characterized by perseverance, passion and the ability to constantly reinvent himself. While many specialize in one discipline, Kindl proves that true greatness lies in embracing the diversity of the sport – and mastering it at the highest level.
