Friedrich focused on glory

BERLIN－For good reason, there's only one topic occupying the mind of Francesco Friedrich. "It's all about the Games in China," says Germany's most successful bobsleigh athlete.

Discipline, desire and attention to detail seem to come naturally to the all-conquering Friedrich, a double Olympic gold medalist in 2018 and a 13-time world champion.

A passionate approach has been Friedrich's trademark throughout his career, and with Beijing 2022 just around the corner, the 31-year-old is moving up the gears to realize his dream of retaining his two-man and four-man bobsleigh titles.

After training on the Olympic track in Yanqing－which he praised as outstanding and spectacular－Friedrich is in confident mood approaching the Games.

However, he stops short of describing himself as the overwhelming favorite for gold in his events. "After all, we are preparing for the Olympic Games, not a regional event," he said.

Friedrich's preparations have been as meticulous as possible, especially when it comes to health and safety amid the pandemic.

The family man didn't take any chances over the Christmas period, canceling visits and turning down invitations from relatives. Even his brother and parents had to stay away because "it was too dangerous to gamble".

Christmas, usually a big family event in the Friedrich household, instead was a lonely affair.

He and his wife also removed their children from nursery until the end of the Games. "Everyone is behind the idea," he said.

His uncompromising approach seems to make it easier for him to accept the strict rules implemented by the Chinese organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to keep everyone safe during the Games.

For Friedrich, the pandemic remains a threat to all events. "It doesn't make sense to think about the measures. Instead, use your energy to deliver a satisfying competition," he said.

Friedrich's World Cup results bode extremely well for his Olympic bid. On Sunday in Winterberg, Germany, he clinched the World Cup four-man overall title with one race remaining. It was Friedrich's 14th consecutive international victory in four-man competition, and the fourth consecutive season in which he's won the World Cup four-man overall crown.

Friedrich has a 229-point lead over Canada's Justin Kripps going into this weekend's World Cup finale.

In the two-man competition, Friedrich enjoyed a 21-race World Cup winning streak that came to an end on New Year's Day.

His preparations also include working on his sleigh－worth a surprisingly expensive 80,000 euros ($91,000)－talking to engineers, and training until his last drop of energy has been used.

As for his approach to the Yangqing track, he has learned how it is vital to maintain speed from the start to cover the flat sections.

He hopes team spirit and his vast experience can also give him an edge during the Games.

Friedrich and his brakeman, Thorsten Margis, expect a strong challenge from Canada and Latvia, and claim not to be taking the Chinese team lightly too.

With the Chinese athletes able to have a significantly higher number of test runs, Friedrich hopes his superior experience can counteract their home advantage. "It seems the Chinese athletes lack the same experience we have collected over many years," he said.

The Olympic Games, from his perspective, unleash extra motivation for all athletes, even more so when they are competing on home soil. For Friedrich, this is reason enough not to forget about the smallest details－even down to the possible celebrations, which for the Friedrich team usually involve smoking a cigar in his garage in his hometown of Pirna, near Dresden.

Xinhua