Kerstin Szymkowiak

Kerstin Szymkowiak (née Jürgens ) ( born December 19, 1977 in Siegen) is a former German Skeleton driver who lives in Switzerland Arth in the Canton of Schwyz.

Career

Kerstin Szymkowiak comes from the village of Marmecke in the community Westfalia. Through his father, who was coach of the Athletics TV Kirchhundem, it has already been sponsored athletic as a child. After attending grammar school " Queen Mary " in Lenne city, she graduated with her ​​high school graduation, she went to a ten-month au pair stay in Marseille. There she had the opportunity to coach at Olympique Marseille. The stay abroad joined studying sports science at the University of Paderborn. She tried first as a javelin thrower, but failed to qualify for the Olympic Summer Games. She got contacts for Bobsleigh, where it was in 2002 brakeman for the Bobpilotin Kiriasis, but could not qualify for the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, but eventually moved to the Skeleton. From the study of Paderborn, she moved to Mainz. She went first from 2002 - 2004 for the WSV Koenigssee and launched since 2004 for the RSG Sauerland, where she is an honorary member since 2010. Among her greatest successes include three World Championship Bronze 2004 ( Koenigssee ), 2008 ( Altenberg ) and 2009 ( Lake Placid ), winning the European Championship in 2005 as well and in addition to four other World Cup victories, the three World Cup wins in a row in Cesana (Italy ) 2005, 2007 and 2008 (2005 and 2007 with the track record ). On this track she was considered for the 2006 Olympic Games as a medal candidate, but was not nominated for a zig- zag course of the Association and of the National Olympic Committee.

On 19 February 2010 Szymkowiak won the silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. 21 February 2010 Szymkowiak declared private and health reasons (arthritis in the knees ) their retirement from competitive sport. She is since 2008 with Philippe Szymkowiak, the masseur of the Swiss Bobmannschaften Annenbob and Beat Hefti, civilly married. In August 2010, she completed her studies for the diploma in sports science. In September 2010 Szymkowiak brought a daughter into the world.

With an Olympic, world championship three - and four European Championship medals she counted alongside Maya Pedersen by 2010 the most successful skeleton rider in the world.

Successes in the Skeleton

  • 2002 European Cup victory in Winterberg
  • 2003 German Vice-Champion, 10th place World Championships in Nagano (Japan)
  • 2004 German Champion, World Cup victories in Sigulda (Latvia ) and in Altenberg, Vice - European Champion, 3rd World Cup place, 4th place overall World Cup 03/ 04
  • 2005 German Vice - Champion, European Champion, 4th place World Cup, World Cup victory Cesana (Italy ), 3rd place overall World Cup 04/ 05
  • 2006 German Champion, 6th place overall World Cup 05/ 06
  • 2007 German Vice-Champion, World Cup victory in Cesana (Italy ), 6th place overall World Cup 06/ 07
  • 2008 German Vice-Champion, World Cup victory in Cesana, 3rd place European Championships in Cesana, 3rd place World Cup in Altenberg
  • 2009 3rd place World Cup in Lake Placid
  • Silver at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Vice - European Champion in Innsbruck, World Cup victories in Winterberg and Altenberg, 3rd place overall World Cup 09 /10
Winter Olympic Games Skeleton at the 2010 Winter Olympics Martin Annen Maya Pedersen-Bieri Monique Riekewald Diane Sartor Anja Huber Shelley Rudman
473212
de