21 years of pairing like a sibling and then won the double bobsleigh championship "Bavarian Express" won three consecutive championships

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 German duo won the double bobsleigh title and the crown shin

Last night, the Beijing Winter Olympics began a two-person bobsleigh competition at the National Bobsleigh Center "Snow Dragon", and the German legendary duo Tobias Wendel / Tobias Alter won the championship with a total time of 1:56.554, which was the third time that the two stood on the championship podium after the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The German duo of Tony Eggert/Sasha Benecken and the Austrian duo of Thomas Stu/Lorenz Koehler finished second and third respectively. China's Huang Yebo/Peng Junyue ranked 17th.

A two-person bobsleigh differs from a single-player event in that a team of two members rides together in a sled to complete the race. The number of race glide rounds has also been reduced from four to two rounds of single-player matches, with the team with the least time in both rounds winning. The duo's bobsleigh duo competing in this Winter Olympics is a star-studded duo, not only the legendary German duo and two-time Winter Olympic gold medalist Wendel/Alter, but also the Austrian famous Thomas Stu/Lorenz Koehler. In last night's match, the focus of attention was on the two German and Austrian pairs. In the trial wheels that ended a few days ago, the 27-year-old Stu/Kohler combination was very prominent, ranking first in 5 of the 6 trials, overshadowing the two 34-year-old veteran Wendell/Alter who were favourites to win the championship. But in the last attempt, Stu/Kohler finished third and the first was occupied by Wendel/Alter.

In the first round of the main tournament, the Egret/Beneken combination was in the lead in the first four teams to appear. However, when Wendel/Alter came to the starting point, all eyes were focused on the two. After seeing the two take several deep breaths in a row, Wendall pushed the sled out, and the two struggled to grasp the ground with four hands, getting the best starting reaction time of 7.014 seconds. At the next 4 timing points, they continued to accelerate, and finally crossed the line with a time of 58.255 seconds. While setting a new record for the fastest speed on the Snow Dragon track held by compatriotStroy Egert/Benekon, it also ranked first in the first round.

In the second round of the slide, the Wendel/Alter combination made the last appearance. After the departure, the two cooperated tacitly, the corners were smooth, each timing point was faster than the previous one, and finally finished with 58.299 seconds, ranking first in the overall result.

Withstand the impact and be full of tacit understanding

Wendel and Alter were born in the same year, and their birthdays are only two weeks away, and the golden couple, who are not brothers but have a better understanding than brothers and sisters, have been given the nickname "Bavarian Express" by ice fans. 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.

Last night in the game, they withstood strong shocks from their compatriots and young Austrians. 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. Last night's two-wheeled slick, the Bavaria Express continued its steady form of the season, declaring with undisputed results that they were still the two-man bobsleigh overlord.

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.

Alter said: "Compared to single sleds, tandem bobsleighs require more responsibility and trust in their partners. 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. In terms of cooperation, we have enough confidence. "From the age of 13, Art and Wendel have been partners for 21 years, they know each other very well, and most importantly, the two 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.

Prepare for the Triple Crown with all your might

On the podium and hanging heavily on the Beijing Winter Olympics gold medal, Wendel and Alter released the pressure by cheering and jumping.

Alt shed tears of excitement, and the usually unkind German tough guy said, "It is unbelievable to win the Three Consecutive Winter Olympics, and it is difficult for me to explain this feeling of happiness, this moment our dream has come true." We've had a tough season and now it's all worth it. It will take a while for us to calm our hearts and savor all the feelings that have come with us today. ”

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, keep practicing twice a day. Since last spring, he and his partner have only taken 3 days off at Christmas, and the rest of the time has been spent 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. ”

Love sledding, the original intention does not change

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." 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. Wendell said.

When it comes to his love of bobsleigh, Wendel has not changed: "When you drive a sleigh into the track and fly at a speed of more than 120 kilometers per hour, 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 bobsleigh sports have brought him a lot of good memories, "the number of bobsleigh athletes is not huge, the players together like a big family." 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 end of our sports career, and I believe that there are more championships waiting for us to fight for in the future. ”

(Original title: 21 years of partnering like a brother and sister to win the double bobsleigh championship again, "Bavaria Express" won three consecutive championships)

Source: Beijing Evening News | Reporters Wang Yang and Guan Xin

Process Editor: u029

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