Sylke OTTO

As of 2009, Sylke Otto is the most successful female luger of all times. Beside her two golds at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics she has won multiple other titles: four-time singles World Champion (2000, 2001, 2003, and 2005) and twice team World Champion (2003 and 2005). Otto was also team runner-up in 2000 and 2001, third in singles in 1999 and 2004, and third in the team event in 1999. She was also singles European Champion in 2000 and 2002, team European Champion in 1990, 1992, and 2000, runner-up in singles in 1992 and third in 2004. Additionally she was a four-time overall World Cup Champion (1995, 2000, 2003 and 2004), and was German National Champion in 2003, 2006 and 2007. During her career, Otto won a record 37 World Cup races.

Otto had initially planned on retiring at the World Championships in Igls (AUT) in February 2008. But after crashing at Königssee (GER), and having watched Russian luger Albert Demchenko’s crash at Oberhof (GER) that same week, Otto retired in 2007, also coinciding with her pregnancy. Otto was a regular soldier within the Bundeswehr, beginning in 1996. In March 2008 she was elected to the city council in her home town of Zirndorf.