Armin Zöggeler

Armin Zöggeler grew up in Foiana (Völlan), part of the municipality of Lana. He started racing as a kid, winning the Junior World Cup at age 14. At six consecutive Olympic Games he always took a medal in the luge singles event including two gold medals in 2002 and 2006. After his second gold medal in Torino, he carried the Italian flag at the Closing Ceremony. For the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010, Zöggeler was offered the chance to carry the flag at the Opening Ceremony, but declined because his event started the following day. By winning the bronze medal at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, he became the first Olympic athlete to win medals at six consecutive Olympics in an individual competition.

Zöggeler also won six World Championships (1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2011) all in singles, adding five silver and five bronze World Championships medals in singles and team. At the European level, he won another 16 medals including three gold medals in singles (2004 and 2008) and team (1994) events, adding six silver and seven bronze medals. Zöggeler is the most successful luger in the World Cup with 57 victories, 31 second and 27 third places, surpassing the previous record holders Georg Hackl from Germany and Markus Prock from Austria. Zöggeler won the overall World Cup 10 times, all in singles, in the seasons 1997-98, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2003-04 and consecutively from 2005-06 until 2010-11. Between 1993 and 2013, he won 20 Italian Championships. Prior to his senior career he had won three medals at the Junior World Championships, two gold in 1993 and 1994 and a silver in 1992.

In parallel to his racing career Zöggeler climbed the ranks of the Carabinieri until he was promoted to the rank of Marshal in 2011. In 2002, he was appointed Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He was a 10 times Sportsman-of-the-Year in his native South Tyrol.