Olympic gold in luge, then motorcycles: the story of Manfred Stengl

A memorable day for Italy at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. On Wednesday, February 11, two gold medals were won in luge: women’s doubles with Andrea Votter and Marion Oberhofer, and men’s doubles with Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldne. It was in luge that a timeless athlete later successfully moved into motorcycle racing, even racing on the Isle of Man: Manfred Stengl.

Austrian Manfred Stengl distinguished himself as a versatile athlete, able to successfully navigate luge, bobsleigh, and motorcycle racing. He went from winning an Olympic gold medal to competing at the Isle of Man TT. The son of a timekeeper and respected race director for motorsport events in Salzburg, Manfred was an athlete through and through.

At the 1964 Innsbruck Olympic Games, he won the gold medal in luge (doubles), and a few years later he also made his mark in bobsleigh. His bronze at the 1975 World Championships in Breuil-Cervinia (four-man bobsleigh) bears witness to this. Motorcycling, however, was his great passion, having attended numerous races since childhood, following his father, a timekeeper and race director, on the job.

At the 1964 Innsbruck Olympic Games, he won the gold medal in luge (doubles), and a few years later he also made his mark in bobsleigh. His bronze at the 1975 World Championships in Breuil-Cervinia (four-man bobsleigh) bears witness to this. Motorcycling, however, was his great passion, having attended numerous races since childhood, following his father, a timekeeper and race director, on the job.