120 percent at the Beijing opener
Insatiable “Bob Dominator” brings out the big milling machine
November 16, 2023, 8:43 p.m
Francesco Friedrich is far from full. The bobsleigh dominator is starting the next chapter of his record hunt on his golden Olympic track in Beijing. However, the races in China also pose problems for the bobsleigh circus.
Before meeting the Yanqing dragon again, Francesco Friedrich and his team had some time for sightseeing. On the Great Wall of China and in the Forbidden City, the bobsleigh dominator enjoyed the impressive panorama and his role as a carefree tourist before his full focus quickly returned to Beijing’s state-of-the-art ice track.
The new season starts on the 2022 Olympic track – and the insatiable wants to satisfy his hunger for success immediately. “We are now giving the same 120 percent as in the previous 15 years – and are continuing to attack,” Friedrich told the “Sächsische Zeitung” before the start of the World Cup in the pairs on Friday and in the fours on Saturday and Sunday.
The 14-time world champion has “completely recovered” from his adductor injury, which hampered him at the end of last winter. We have trained a lot and the form has also been good, said Friedrich, who is in the pompous Yanqing National Sliding Center, which is seen from above Looking at what a dragon looks like, he became a double Olympic champion again last year.
Women’s World Cup in Beijing canceled
But the start of the World Cup in distant China also poses problems for the bobsleigh circus. Due to a lack of participants due to logistical difficulties, the women’s monobob and two-man bobsleigh races in Beijing were canceled. Olympic champion Laura Nolte and Co. will only start the new season at the beginning of December.
For Friedrich and his main competitor Johannes Lochner, however, it is already about the first exclamation mark at the weekend. Last winter, Lochner snatched the World Cup gold in twos from Friedrich after seven previous titles, which the dominator doesn’t want to put up with. Friedrich emphasized that he “absolutely wants to get the title back” at the annual highlight in Winterberg at the end of February.
The magic goal 100
In addition, the Saxon continues to pursue the “really big goal of achieving 100 World Cup victories. There are still 27 missing,” said the 33-year-old, who is also planning the 2026 Olympic Games, where the venue for the sled competitions has not yet been determined in the back of his mind – especially since it could be that a German railway is hosting the competitions. The Bobsleigh and Sled Association for Germany (BSD) has expressed interest.
But the focus is now on the coming winter, even if the preparation was somewhat disrupted. Because the energy and environmental debate has not bypassed bobsleigh sports. “It’s more or less a cold start,” said national coach Rene Spies, as the tracks in Germany were only iced later due to the warm October. “Even if it puts us at a competitive disadvantage because everyone else has been driving for a long time. We just wanted to set this example,” emphasized Spies.
Nevertheless, Friedrich and Lochner are the big favorites in China and in the World Cup, even if other nations are slowly catching up. “The level of competition is increasing,” said Spies: “It won’t be a sure-fire success.”