Tonight's National Bobsleigh Center "Snow Dragon" witnessed the glorious moment when the Combination of Tobias Wendel/Tobias Alter achieved the Olympic Triple Crown. Two 34-year-old veterans, with two near-perfect slides, made all the competitors look out of reach.
Walking off the field, the two maintained the demeanor of the champion, took the initiative to come forward, and blessed each pair of finished players.
Despite entering the end of their careers, Wendel and Alter's love of bobsleigh has not diminished with the passage of time.
The legendary combination is full of tacit understanding
Wendel and Alter were born in the same year, and their birthdays were only two weeks away, and the golden couple, who were not brothers but had a better understanding than their own siblings, were given the nickname "Bavarian Express" by the Ice Mystery. They flew sleds through the international bobsleigh federation World Cup in many races, and it has become common for them to win gold and silver.
Tonight, in the quadrennial Winter Olympics, they withstood the strong onslaught from their fellow teammates and the young Austrian duo. From the starting reaction to the control of the timing of the opening and exiting the corner, Wendel and Alter showed the essence and domineering spirit of the defending champions of the Winter Olympics. Tonight's two-wheeled slab, the Bavaria Express continued the season's steady state, declaring with undisputed results that we are the protagonists of the Winter Olympics.
Double sledding not only tests the individual ability of the players, but also the competition between the players to cooperate with each other and learn from each other's strengths. In terms of coordination, Wendel and Alter are unbeatable.
Speaking about the tacit understanding between the two, Alter said: "Compared with the single sled, the double sled requires more responsibility and trust in the partner. Because in a single sled race, if you miss the turn or skate badly, you only need to be responsible for yourself, and it only affects your ranking. For example, a single sleigh is like driving a go-kart, with a light body, quick reflexes and flexible steering, while a two-person sleigh is like driving a heavy truck, and when you want to operate it to steer, it may take a distance of 10 to 15 meters to complete the steering, which requires two people to have a high degree of tacit understanding, because one of you is not careful or out of sync, it will affect each other. In terms of cooperation, we have enough confidence. ”
From the age of 13, Alt and Wendel have been partners for 21 years, they know each other very well, and most importantly, they never shirk responsibility from each other, and even if someone makes a mistake, no one will blame each other. Instead, the two will calmly analyze the problem and solve it in the shortest possible time. "Because we are a team, one wins and one loses. Having been through hundreds of taxis, we know very well that only by working together can we continue to grow stronger. Alter said.
Full preparation for the battle to achieve the "three crowns"
Speaking about the preparations for the Winter Olympics, Wendel revealed that preparations for this Olympic cycle began at the end of February 2021. After the 2021 season, the two only had a short break before they began to prepare for two trainings, five days a week. After that, improve your competitive status by participating in the world cup races. Starting last September, the two began special training to maintain a stable state before the Start of the Olympics and reduce mistakes. "You know, every 4 years, the two most important skis for bobsledges are the Olympics. You have to concentrate and play your usual training and competition level steadily. ”
Arte said that being the world's top athlete means being in the best shape at all times. Even in the summer of the offseason, it is necessary to maintain two exercises a day, and it is common not to be around the family on holidays. Since last winter, he and his partner have only taken 3 days off at Christmas, and the rest of the time has been spent in training. "We make a game plan and goals every year, and then we put them into action and work firmly in a certain direction and goal. Just like today, only when you win the game will you find that the hard work and sweat you put in before are worth it. “
Partners have been brothers and sisters for many years
The legendary duo has been working together for 21 years since 2001, and in their careers, the two have not only won three Winter Olympic gold medals, but also dominated the podium in major events such as the World Cup for a long time. For the relationship between the two, Wendel described it as "plain and stable", "We have been working together for almost 25 years, almost a silver wedding." Gosh, know that many couples expect such a stable partner. Every year from September to February is a time of intense competition, we will stay in the hotel together, train and compete together, we know each other well enough. ”
Partnering together for a long time, the two are brothers and sisters, "one of his expressions or a word, I can immediately feel the change in his mood, and I will also say appropriate words according to his state, so that each other can maintain a good mood." Sometimes it's really like treating my wife. Wendell said.
Love sledding, the original intention does not change
Having had the glory and experienced the trough, when it comes to the love of sledding, Wendel's original intention has not changed: "When you drive a sleigh into the track, with a speed of more than 130km/h, you can feel the speed and passion of the wind, it is a wonderful feeling of adrenaline burning at a high speed." There is also a huge centrifugal force when turning, making you feel as if you are in the air and flying freely. The most important thing is that you can't brake, you can only continue to move forward at a faster speed, and I think this feeling can only be experienced by people who are personally engaged in sledding. ”
Wendel said that bobsled has brought him a lot of good memories, "The number of bobsleigh players is not huge, the players are like a big family together, although it is not as popular as football and F1, but there will also be opportunities to be on TV and become the focus of attention." We know each other well and always come in groups at every game. From about the age of eighteen or nineteen, we traveled throughout Germany together to conquer every difficult track. This victory is by no means the focus of our sports career, and I believe that there are more championships waiting for us in the future. ”