Irene Zechner
Irene Zechner, born Irene Koch, is a former Austrian Naturbahnrodlerin. With two European championship titles, a World Championship title, two victories in the World Cup and won nine World Cup races she was one of the most successful natural track luge interior of the 1990s.
Career
The first international successes were achieved by the starting for the TVN Fohnsdorf Steirerin Irene Koch mid -1980s at junior competitions. 1985 and 1987 she became European Junior Champion in 1986, she won the bronze medal.
At the same time they have also participated in championships in the general class and was also surprising connection to the top. Had she remained at the World Cup 1986 in Fénis in fourth slightly behind the medals, they already reached next year at the European Championships 1987 in Jesenice third place. Following the weather-related cancellation of the World Cup 1988, she also won the bronze medal at the European Championships 1989 in Garmisch -Partenkirchen. In each case, the second place went to Irene Cook at the 1990 World Cup in Gsies ( behind Jeanette Kopp Steiner) and the European Championships in 1991 in Fiè ( behind hazel Doris Rieder ). At the World Cup 1992 in Bad Goisern, she won a bronze medal as a third party again.
After her marriage, she started from the season 1992/1993 under her new surname Zechner. This winter, the World Cup was first held and Irene Zechner reached in two of the five races a podium finish, earning her the fourth place in the overall World Cup of the season 1992 /1993. They celebrated their biggest success so far January 31, 1993, when she became European Champion in Stein an der Enns. In the 1993/1994 season Zechner was the dominant luge athlete in the World Cup. While she was still second behind the Italian Beatrix miller's man in the first race, they won all four other World Cup races this winter and thus also consider the overall World Cup. At the end of January discharged in Gsies 1994 World Cup but she had a second time the Italian miller's man to admit defeat, Zechner came in second.
In winter 1994/1995, the Tyrolean wood Elvira Knecht was then the dominating appearance in the World Cup. She won all four races, while Zechner three times second and once third parties and thus was behind woodcutter took second place in the overall World Cup. At the European Championships in 1995 in the Russian Kandalakscha however woodcutter came only to third place and Zechner was before the local hero Lyubov Panjutina for the second time European champion.
Also, the first World Cup race of the season 1995/1996 won Elvira woodcutter, but the next four races decided Irene Zechner for themselves. At the finals in rod finally were both at the same time on the top step of the podium, which Irene Zechner for the second time won the overall World Cup. Victorious was the Styrian also at the World Championships in 1996 in Oberperfuss. After it was twice European champion and had won three medals at World Championships, Zechner resulted in their last major event to an Austrian triple victory and became world champion. After such a successful season Irene Zechner ended her career. In recognition of her achievements, she was awarded for services to the Republic of Austria, the Silver Medal.
Sporting successes
World Championships
- Fénis Aosta - 1986 4 -seater
- Gsies 1990: 2 seater
- Bad Goisern 1992 3 seater
- Gsies 1994: 2 seater
- Oberperfuss 1996: first single-seater
European Championships
- Szczyrk 1985: 7 seater
- Jesenice 1987: 3 seater
- Garmisch -Partenkirchen 1989: 3 seater
- Fiè 1991 2 seater
- Stein an der Enns 1993: first single-seater
- Kandalakscha 1995: first single-seater
European Junior Championships
- Get 1984: 6 seater
- Oberperfuss 1985: first single-seater
- Feld am See 1986: 3 seater
- Kreuth 1987: first single-seater
World Cup
- 2x Overall World Cup victory in the single-seater in the seasons 1993/1994 and 1995/1996
- 1x 2nd overall in the single-seater in the season 1994/1995
- 17 podiums, 9 wins:
* At the same time Elvira woodcutter