Before the Olympic luge competitions, the German doubles duo Toni Eggert and Florian Müller are having a tough time. The trigger was an angry interview by Eggert, who publicly attacked his partner. He also became physically noticeable.
In his fourth Olympic participation, the gold coup should finally work. But a few days before the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (February 6th to 22nd), an angry interview by luger Toni Eggert and rumors of physical violence are causing trouble.
Trigger: The eleven-time world champion was exhausted after finishing sixth at the Olympic dress rehearsal in Oberhof at the end of January. Of all people, he publicly criticized his double-seater partner Florian Müller after a botched start. He seemed confused and didn’t say anything.
Eggert said about his lower man at the time: “He just has to join in once and then we can sort it out. Unfortunately, at the moment we don’t work as a team, that’s annoying to no end. It has to change. When I look at the passage of time, nobody has as fast a box as we do.”
Sentences that caused bystanders to shake their heads. According to information from “Bild”, a written complaint was even received by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). The letter is available in “Bild”. Eggert therefore had to speak to national coach Patric Leitner. Germany’s toboggan boss Thomas Schwab: “The result was that such issues will be analyzed internally in the future instead of being described publicly.”
Eggert was out of action after a botched training run
It was not the first rapport for Eggert, who had already ended his career with Sascha Benecken in 2023 and celebrated his comeback with a new partner a year later. After a botched training trip in Altenberg last November, he is said to have become more than just verbally abusive. Schwab confirms: “He hit him on the chest with the flat of his hand.”
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The head of the association makes it clear: “When we found out about the incident, it was immediately dealt with by the head coach and discussed and recorded first with Toni and then with both of them. This was a transgression of boundaries that is unacceptable and must under no circumstances be allowed to happen again.”
Eggert received a dark yellow card. Müller forgave him for the misfire and is said to have blamed everything on “emotions”. The duo is still united by the goal of Olympic gold – even after the recent trouble in Oberhof. With previous partner Benecken, Eggert has so far won one Olympic silver medal (2022) and one Olympic bronze medal (2018).
The text was created for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in BILD.
