Silke KRAUSHAAR

Silke Kraushaar dominated female luge in the first decade of the 21st Century. Besides her complete set of Olympic medals, she won seven World Championship medals (3-2-2), nine European Championship medals (6-3-0), and made 13 podiums at the German Championships (6-2-5). Kraushaar was also a five-time overall World Cup Champion (1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007), after starting her career in East Germany in 1984, when only 14. After reunification she did not return to international competitions until 1995, with her breakthrough coming in the 1997-98 season when she reached the podium as runner-up in the overall World Cup. In 2008 she retired after winning the bronze medal at her last World Championships. Kraushaar also took part five times at the Wok World Championships, which is a funsport competition organized by famous German TV entertainer Stefan Raab, winning the four-man wok in 2006 and 2008. Since retirement she has worked as a luge manager for the German Bob- und Schlittenverband (BSD).