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Natalie Geisenberger at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games
Photo: Robert Michael / dpa
Six-time Olympic luge champion Natalie Geisenberger ends her successful career. The 35-year-old announced this on Instagram. Born in Munich, she is the most successful German Winter Olympian in history. Overall, only canoeist Birgit Fischer and dressage rider Isabell Werth have won more gold medals at the Olympic Games.
"I don't just want to stop when it's most beautiful, above all I want to stay WHERE it's most beautiful. At home with my family!«, Geisenberger wrote to a photo that showed her with numerous trophies. » What remains is infinite gratitude, pride, memories for eternity, many great people and a time that I will never forget.«
Geisenberger, who competed in her first World Cup race in January 2007, secured Olympic gold in Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018 and – after a maternity break – Beijing 2022 in both individual and team events. She is also a nine-time World Champion, six-time European Champion, eight-time overall World Cup winner and has triumphed five times at German Championships.
Geisenberger competed in her last career race on February 10, 2022 in the team relay in Beijing. "I've already achieved so much more than I could have dreamed of," she said before the Winter Games.
Last season, she had not been active due to her second pregnancy.
Numerous successful winter sports athletes such as ice hockey player Christian Ehrhoff, cross-country skier and biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle and Felix Loch, also a three-time Olympic champion in luge, commented on Geisenberger's farewell post. Loch wrote: "Natalie, you are the greatest! Thank you for so many great moments together and especially for your friendship! What a career – unbelievable!!«
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