Natalie Geisenberger

Natalie Geisenberger is widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest luger of all-time. Either way, she is officially the most successful female luger ever. Her two gold medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing take her medal haul to a staggering six Olympic golds, nine World Championship golds, and seven European golds. Even without taking into account the silver and bronze medals, her career achievements are phenomenal and maybe even impossible to better.

Geisenberger’s story begins in Munich, Germany, where she was born in 1988. When she was six, her family moved south to the town of Miesbach. It was here, when she was 10 years old, that Geisenberger was introduced to the luge at a local sports club. She instantly fell in love and was soon embarking on a junior career that saw her win no fewer than 14 Junior World Cups and three Junior World Championships. Her senior career began just weeks before her 19th birthday, and she quickly established herself as the one to beat.

Geisenberger’s first taste of major glory came just under a year later when she won gold in the singles competition at the 2008 European Championships. Less than two weeks later, she won silver at the World Championships. Since then, she has come to dominate both competitions, both in the singles and team relay events. She has also won at least one international medal every year since except 2020 (when she was on maternity leave). Her first Olympic medal was a singles bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. She has won the singles and relay gold at every Olympics since.