Felix Loch

Felix Loch

Felix Loch (center), at the flowers ceremony after the men's singles event at the 2008 FIL World Luge Championships in Oberhof, Germany.
Personal information
Born	24 July 1989[1] Sonneberg,[1] East Germany
Residence	Schönau am Königssee,[1] Bavaria
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Website	www.felixloch.de
Sport
Country	Germany
Sport	Luge
Event(s)	Singles
Club	RC Berchtesgaden
Turned pro	2006[1]
Coached by	Norbert Loch
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals
Personal best(s)	153.98 km/h (95.68 mph)
Medal record Olympic Games 2010 Vancouver Singles 2014 Sochi Singles 2014 Sochi Mixed team World Championships 2008 Oberhof Singles 2008 Oberhof Mixed team 2009 Lake Placid Singles 2009 Lake Placid Mixed team 2012 Altenberg Singles 2012 Altenberg Mixed team 2013 Whistler Singles 2013 Whistler Mixed team 2015 Sigulda Mixed team 2016 Königssee Singles 2016 Königssee Sprint 2016 Königssee Mixed team 2011 Cesana Singles 2015 Sigulda Singles European Championships 2015 Sochi Mixed team 2015 Sochi Singles World Junior Championships 2006 Altenberg Singles 2006 Altenberg Mixed team 2007 Cesana Singles 2007 Cesana Mixed team 2008 Lake Placid Singles

Felix Loch (German pronunciation: [ˈfeːlɪks ˈlɔx]; born 24 July 1989) is a German luger and Olympic champion. He has been competing since 1995 and has been on the German national team since 2006. He won nine medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with eight golds (Men's singles: 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013; Mixed team event: 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013) and one silver (Men's singles: 2011). Loch's men's singles win in 2008 made him the youngest world champion ever at 18 years old. He is the youngest Olympic Gold Medalist in men's Luge history.^[2]

At the 2008 FIL European Luge Championships in Cesana, Italy, he finished sixth in the men's singles event.

Previously he had won the 2006 Junior World Championship held in Altenberg, Germany. Loch is member of the Club RC Berchtesgaden and currently lives at Schönau am Königssee though he was born in Sonneberg.

During International Training Week at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia on November 7–15, 2008, Loch injured his shoulder during training. Bob- und Schlittenverband für Deutschland (BSD) Sport Director Thomas Schwab stated that Loch would compete at the opening Luge World Cup event at Igls, Austria on November 29–30, 2008 to which Loch did.

On 21 February 2009, during the 2008-09 Luge World Cup season finale at Whistler Sliding Centre, Felix Loch recorded the fastest registered speed in luge, 153.98 km/h (95.68 mph).^[3]

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Loch again won the gold medal in Men's Singles, marking his second consecutive Olympic victory,^[4] and he was also in the German team which won gold in the inaugural team relay.

References

1. FIL-Luge profile, accessed December 3, 2010
2. "German Felix Loch easily wins men's luge gold". Houston Chronicle. 14 February 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
3. [http://www.fil-luge.org/News-Detail.155.0.html?&tx_ttnews[pS]=1233442800&tx_ttnews[pL]=2419199&tx_ttnews[arc]=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=10379&tx_ttnews[backPid]=157&cHash=1c12cdc5a6 David Möller realizes his first victory of the season.] at the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (22 February 2009 article accessed 22 February 2009.)
4. "Felix Loch of Germany captures gold in luge again". USA Today. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.

• November 20, 2008 FIL-Luge.org article on Loch's shoulder injury during International Training Week at the Whistler Sliding Centre. – accessed November 21, 2008.