Josef “Sepp” Lenz, here 2018
Image: picture alliance / SvenSimon
Under his direction, German tobogganists won 96 Olympic medals, and he was also an expert in the construction of artificial ice rinks: Now Josef “Sepp” Lenz, the “goldsmith from Königssee”, has died.
Dhe long-time national luge coach Josef “Sepp” Lenz is dead. As the luge world association Fil announced on Monday, citing his family, Lenz died at the age of 88 in the night from May 3rd to 4th in his home country. “I am so sorry for his death. We are losing a great person who dedicated his life to luge,” said Fil President Einars Fogelis, expressing his condolences to the family.
Lenz was national coach for almost 30 years and made a name for himself as the “goldsmith from Königssee”. Under his direction, German lugers won a total of 96 medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships between 1965 and 1995. In addition, the former tobogganist, who was European champion in singles in 1962, was an expert in the construction of artificial ice rinks. Among other things, he was jointly responsible for the construction of the track at Königssee and for the world association as a consultant for Olympic tracks. Lenz was also considered the discoverer and sponsor of the three-time Olympic champion Georg Hackl.
A serious fall in doubles training at the Winter Games in Innsbruck in 1964 ended the active career of the then 29-year-old Lenz, two years later he started his career as a coach. On December 16, 1993, an accident in the ice channel changed his life. During repair work on the Winterberg railway, the then 58-year-old was hit by a sled traveling at 110 kilometers per hour and lost his lower leg.
“Life goes on, it could have been worse,” said Lenz about the day. Only two months later he was the national coach at the Olympic Games in Lillehammer on the ice rink and led the German athletes to three medals. Lenz visited the ice rink on Königssee, in the construction of which he was significantly involved, often and gladly until the very end. “To look up,” as he said.
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