Nagano, Asakawa, 9 February 1998: Georg HACKL from Germany, 1st, in action in the singles luge event during the XVIII Olympic Winter Games. Credit: Getty Images/BRUNSKILL Clive

Other names: GEORG HACKL, G. Hackl

Born: 9 September 1966

Birthplace: Berchtesgaden (Germany)

Nationality: Germany

Sport: Luge

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Calgary 1988

Albertville 1992

Lillehammer 1994

Nagano 1998

Salt Lake City 2002

Turin 2006

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Gold: 3

Silver: 2

Other results:

World Championships

Gold: 9 (88 - 95, 96, 97, 99 - 03)

Silver: 8 (90 - 97, 00 - 01, 03, 04)

Bronze: 2 (98 - 00)

The Greatest Lugist

Georg Hackl is the only luger to have won medals at five consecutive Olympics in singles luge. At the 1988 Calgary Games, Hackl finished second to fellow German Jens Müller. Because Hackl had trouble with his start, a start range was built for him at the Königssee luge course near his home in Berchtesgaden.

The increased practice paid off as Hackl won the gold medal at the 1992 Albertville Olympics by defeating Marcus Prock of Austria in the closest men's singles competition in 24 years. The repeat duel between Hackl and Prock at the 1994 Olympics was even closer. Hackl won again, but the contest was so close that if the four runs had been a single race, he would have won by less than 35 centimetres after 5.6 kilometres of sliding.

At the 1998 Nagano Games, Hackl survived a protest against his new, aerodynamically advanced yellow booties to earn a third gold medal. In so doing, he became only the sixth person in the history of the Winter Olympics to win the same individual event three times.

At the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, Hackl barely edged Prock once again, but this time both of these veterans were beaten by Armin Zöggeler of Italy. Still, Hackl brought his Olympics medal total to three golds and two silvers. Although injured for part of the season and aged 40, in 2006 in Turin, Georg Hackl participated in his 6th Olympic Games and placed 7th.