FRIEDRICH vs. LOCHNER
The duel for gold and honor
FRIEDRICH
vs.
LOCHNER
The duel for gold and honor
The icy showdown
The countdown is on: The new bobsleigh season begins in Altenberg on December 6 - and the excitement couldn't be greater. The focus is on the thrilling duel between the two best bobsleigh drivers in the world: Johannes Lochner and Francesco Friedrich. Both have dominated the ice track in recent years, but their rivalry goes far beyond the track.
Francesco Friedrich, the undisputed dominator of bobsleigh, has won almost everything there is to win in recent years. Whether in two-man or four-man bobsleigh, the Saxon is considered the gold standard in the sport.
"There's no deal, that's nonsense."
- Francesco Friedrich
"Coming second again? I'm not going to watch that."
- Johannes Lochner
But his biggest challenger, Johannes 'Hansi' Lochner, is hot on his heels. The man from Berchtesgaden has already put Friedrich under pressure several times, taking the runner-up title last season and surprisingly winning the world title a year earlier. The two know each other well and have often battled against each other - but now their rivalry is taking on a new dimension.
Even before the start of the season, a heated dispute off the bobsleigh track causes a stir: Lochner accused Friedrich of trying to poach his top pusher Georg Fleischhauer. Lochner called the offer, which came shortly after last season, "outrageous". "I should never be teased," he added. The controversy proved to be a wake-up call for Lochner, motivating him more than ever. "That was a wake-up call. I'm highly motivated and faster than ever." His opponent Friedrich rejects the accusations. "There's no deal, that's nonsense," he explains. For him, it was just a conversation about possible prospects.