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Although Michael Vogt (25) has never been the ultimate launch vehicle, the Schwyzer particularly excels on the control cables. But at the World Cup opener in China with a two-man and two four-man bobsled races, Vogt’s start times are noticeably slow, with one exception, even if it doesn’t have a major impact at the finish: Vogt finishes third on the podium in the small sled in Yanqing, there are two fifth places among the foursome.
There is a plausible explanation behind the mystery of the weak starts. Vogt rode over the Chinese ice rink with a painful lumbago. It was very tough on the day of his podium finish.
Vogt with lumbago on stage
After the first run, Vogt could barely move and his back was completely closed. But somehow the Swiss team leader manages to sprint again and jump into the bobsled during the second run. “That was difficult. It was admirable that he even reached the finish,” says team manager Thomas Lohfing.
The poor starts in the four-man races are not only due to Vogt’s lumbago. Because he is missing a strong pusher, the injured Cyril Bieri (30), he will start two days with two different, not really well-rehearsed formations.
Simon Friedli is at odds with the train
Vogt is still the best Swiss in all races on the 2022 Olympic circuit; he leaves the Far East in third place overall in the World Cup. Simon Friedli (32) starts quickly, but has some difficulty with the material and, just like at the Olympic Games, cannot master the track. And Cédric Follador (29) suffers from the fact that, unlike his opponents, he has much less experience in Yanqing.
But even if Follador and Friedli finish second and last on Sunday, there are still a lot of points with only eleven participating teams. In any case, the embarrassing mini starting field had the best conditions: the ice conditions in China are phenomenal on all training and racing days, as Swiss Sliding delegation leader Lohfing describes it.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
