Gerda Weissensteiner

Gerda Weissensteiner (born 3 January, 1969 in Bolzano) is an Italian luger and bobsleigh pilot who has competed from the late 1980s to 2006. Competing in six Winter Olympics, she won the gold medal in the women's singles luge event at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, and together with Jennifer Isacco she won the bronze in Turin in the two-woman bobsleigh at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Luge career

Weissensteiner won eleven medals at the FIL World Luge Championships, including two gold (Women's singles: 1993, Mixed team: 1989), three silvers (Women's singles: 1989, Mixed team: 1990, 1995), and six bronzes (Women's singles: 1995, 1996; Mixed team: 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997).

She was also won four medals at the FIL European Luge Championships with two gold (Mixed team and Women's singles: both in 1994), one silver (Women's singles: 1990), and one bronze (Mixed team: 1988).

Weissensteiner won the overall Luge World Cup title in women's singles twice (1992-3, 1997-8).

Bobsleigh career

Weissensteiner switched to bobsleigh in 2001. Her best finish in the Bobsleigh World Cup championship was third twice in the two-woman event. (2002-3, 2003-4 (tied with Germany's Susi Erdmann)). She finished sixth in the 2-woman bobsleigh event at the 2005 FIBT World Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The following year, Weissensteiner joined Erdmann as being one of only two people to win a medal in both bobsleigh and luge at the Winter Olympics.

She retired from all competition after the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

References

* [http://www.todor66.com/olim/1988w/Luge_Women_Singles.html 1988 luge women's singles results]
* [http://www.todor66.com/olim/1992w/Luge_Women_Singles.html 1992 luge women's singles results]
* [http://www.todor66.com/olim/1998w/Luge_Women_Singles.html 1998 luge women's singles results]
* [http://www.todor66.com/olim/2002w/Bobsleigh_Women_Doubles.html 2002 bobsleigh two-woman results]
* [http://sports123.com/bob/wo-2.html Bobsleigh two-woman Olympic medalists since 2002]
* [http://www.sportresult.com/sports/bs/db/biography.asp?p_id=100268&nat=ITA&sport=BS&sex=W&season=&stat=&venue=&events= FIBT profile]
* [http://www.hickoksports.com/history/olluge.shtml Hickoksports.com results on Olympic champions in luge and skelton.]
* [http://www.hickoksports.com/history/worldluge.shtml Hickok sports information on World champions in luge and skeleton.]
* [http://torino2006.coni.it/index.php?id=345 Italian Olympic Committee profile] it icon
* [http://www.eiskanal.com/eiskanal-kunstbahnrennrodeln-europameisterschaften.html List of European luge champions] de icon
* [http://sports123.com/bob/wwc-2.html List of two-woman bobsleigh World Cup champions since 1995]
* [http://sports123.com/lug/wwc-s.html List of women's singles luge World Cup champions since 1978.]
* [http://www.sportquick.com/techlist.asp?SearchResult=Envoi&list0=Luge&list1=Championnats%20du%20Monde%20piste%20artificielle&list2=&shot2=T&shot3=Champion SportQuick.com information on World champions in luge] fr icon
* [http://www.fuzilogik.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=280&Itemid=105 Winter Olympic results - women's luge: 1964-2006] .