Samuel Maier sensationally wins gold at the European Championships in Lillehammer!

Samuel Maier sensationally wins gold at the European Championships in Lillehammer!

In Lillehammer, the Tyrolean Samuel Maier won the gold medal at the European Skeleton Championships with a lead of just one hundredth. Maier secured this first European title ahead of the British Marcus Wyatt and the German Axel Jungk, who won bronze. With a gap of just 0.03 seconds to Wyatt, Jungk secured third place and was proud of his triumph, which he previously considered less important. Maier also narrowly missed out on his first World Cup victory of the season when he took second place just 0.12 seconds behind the victorious Chinese Lin Qinwei crown reported.

Christopher Grotheer, the Olympic skeleton champion, found himself in a disappointing ninth place at the European Championships in Lillehammer and said he was unhappy with his performances. “I'm totally dissatisfied with the start times,” said the 32-year-old, expressing his frustration after claiming four wins last season. National coach Christian Baude was confident that Grotheer would improve by the upcoming World Cup in Lake Placid in March. With the aim of qualifying for the individual competition again, Grotheer will compete as defending champion. RP Online reported on the complications and pressure Grotheer feels.

Meanwhile, the German skeleton team is optimistic about the upcoming World Championships, where Maier and Jungk are predicted to be medal candidates. Maier, whose great performances shone in Lillehammer, will aim to maintain his impressive form in the coming competitions and potentially secure further medals for Austria. The focus is now on the World Cup, which will take place in the USA in March.