Linger brothers
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Who are the Linger brothers?
Andreas and Wolfgang Linger, known as the Linger brothers, are Austrian brothers who competed in menās doubles luge. They won gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
Growing up near Hall in Tyrol, Austria, they joined a luge club at a young age. In 1991, they gained access to the track in Igls, Austria, the site of the 1964 and 1976 Olympic luge events.
They qualified for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing eighth. The following year, they won gold at the World Luge Championships in Sigulda, Latvia. At the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, they finished in second place. Shortly after the Olympics, the brothers retired.
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What sport do the Linger brothers compete in?
The Linger brothers, Andreas and Wolfgang, are Austrian athletes who compete in menās doubles luge. Luge is a winter sport in which athletes race down an icy track on a small sled, lying on their backs and steering with subtle movements of their legs and shoulders. The brothers won gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. They also carried the Austrian flag during the opening ceremonies at the 2010 Winter Games.
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Where are the Linger brothers from?
The Linger brothers, Andreas and Wolfgang, are Austrian athletes who competed in menās doubles luge. Both brothers were born in Hall in Tyrol, Austria; Andreas on May 31, 1981, and Wolfgang on November 4, 1982. They began their luge careers at a young age, joining a luge club near their hometown. In 1991, they gained access to the track in Igls, Austria, which had hosted the Olympic luge events in 1964 and 1976. The Linger brothers won gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
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What are some of the Linger brothers' achievements?
The Linger brothers, Andreas and Wolfgang, are Austrian athletes celebrated for their achievements in menās doubles luge. They secured gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In 2003, they earned a gold medal at the World Luge Championships in Sigulda, Latvia. At the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, the Linger brothers finished in second place. Shortly after the Olympics, the brothers retired.
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How did the Linger brothers become successful in their sport?
Andreas and Wolfgang Linger are Austrian brothers who achieved success in menās doubles luge through early training and perseverance. Growing up near Hall in Tyrol, they joined a luge club at a young age and gained access to the Igls track in 1991.
They began competing in doubles luge at ages 13 and 14. In 2003, they joined the luge elite by winning gold at the World Luge Championships in Sigulda, Latvia. Despite a setback when Wolfgang fractured his ankle in 2005, they recovered to win gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. They repeated this achievement at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and took silver in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
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What impact have the Linger brothers had on sports in Austria?
The Linger brothers, Andreas and Wolfgang, are Austrian athletes who have significantly impacted the sport of luge. Growing up near Hall in Tyrol, Austria, they joined a luge club at a young age and quickly excelled.
The brothers won gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, establishing themselves as top competitors in menās doubles luge. In 2003, they earned a gold medal at the World Luge Championships in Sigulda, Latvia. At the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, they won a silver medal and shortly after retired.
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Linger brothers, are a team of two Austrian brothers who competed together in menās doubles luge, winning gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, and the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The older of the brothers is Andreas Linger (b. May 31, 1981, Hall in Tyrol, Tyrol, Austria). Wolfgang Linger (b. November 4, 1982, Hall in Tyrol) is the younger.
The Lingers grew up learning the sport of luge after joining a luge club near Hall in Tyrol at a young age. In 1991 Wolfgang and Andreas, aged 9 and 10, respectively, received access, along with their entire club of 500 members, to run the track in Igls, Austria, the site of the 1964 and 1976 Olympic luge events. They were 2 of only about 12 members of the group who attempted the track.
When Wolfgang and Andreas were 13 and 14, respectively, they first competed in doubles luge. Some seven years later the Lingers qualified for the menās doubles luge event (in which the sled is driven by a team of two athletes) in the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games. They placed eighth during the competition; however, they finished less than half a second off the gold medal-winning time. The following year the Lingers joined the luge elite by earning a gold medal in the menās doubles event at the World Luge Championships in Sigulda, Latvia.
In 2005 Wolfgang fractured his ankle and fibula during a test run at a new track in Cesana, Italy, the site of the lugeing and bobsledding events for the Winter Games held the following year in Turin. Wolfgangās injury threatened the pairās chances of competing. By 2006, however, he was well enough to endure the preliminary qualifiers at the Cesana track once again, and later the pair posted the fastest menās doubles time during the Games, earning them the gold medal.
Four years later the Lingers competed in the Winter Games in Vancouver. During the parade of nations in the opening ceremonies, Andreas and Wolfgang received the honour of carrying the Austrian flag. The luge events were held at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia, on a track widely believed to be the fastest in the world. The death of Georgian luge driver Nodar Kumaritashvili during a preliminary run caused Olympic organizers to shorten the runs by changing the starting locations of all luge events; menās doubles and womenās singles events started at the junior push-off site. These changes had the effect of slowing sled speeds, but the Linger brothers again won gold medals. Their time, 1:22.705, bested their closest competition, the Latvian team of Andris and Juris Å ics, by 0.264 second.
At the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, the Linger brothers fell short of their goal of becoming the first doubles luge team to win three straight Olympic golds, finishing in second place by 0.522 second. They also were part of an Austrian side that finished in seventh place in the new luge team relay event. Shortly after the Olympics, the brothers retired.