Miroslav Zajonc

Miroslav " Miro " Zajonc ( born June 10, 1960 in Stara Ves Spišská ) is a former Slovak toboggan athlete who only started for Czechoslovakia, and later also for Canada and the United States and later became coach.

Miroslav Zajonc took at the beginning of his career several times at the European Junior Championships in luge part, but they could usually only in the rear third place. In 1977 he was in Igls 28, 1978 22 in Winterberg, 1979 in Krynica -Zdrój in 15 single-seater. In the doubles came in 1978 on the side of Petr Stefanik, a sixth in 1979 on the side of Marián Dudek added a tenth rank. Then he was on to the national team of Czechoslovakia, but was neither in the world nor European Championships for use. In August 1981, he fled to a training camp in Igls at the border crossing between the Czech Republic and Austria into the arms of Austrian tax collectors. From now on, Zajonc first started for Canada. In the 1980s he met while on a North American sports toboggan in transition and was able to bring his training with some accents. As sensational but was winning the gold medal in the single-seater at the FIL World Luge Championships 1983 in Lake Placid before the titleholder Sergei Danilin and Paul Hildgartner. It was not only the first winning a world championship in a non-European Union but also the first medal that was not won by a representative of a European federation. Already in the Luge World Cup of the season 1982/83 he was runner-up in Lake Placid behind Hildgartner in the third race of the season.

Since 1985, Zajonc competed for the United States. In the 1985/86 season he was able to ride on his favorite track in Lake Placid back in third place behind Norbert Huber and Michael Walter on the podium. In addition to the single Zajonc also went further in doubles. Here he was recorded mainly in the 1986/87 season success. With his partner Tim Nardiello he reached the start of the season in Sarajevo behind Stefan Ilsanker and Georg Hackl second place. In the overall standings the double Zajonc / Nardiello was fourth. Also in the Luge World Cup 1987 in Igls but they were disqualified. In the individual he was 21 in 1988 he came to his only use at the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary with Nardiello and reached the doubles eleventh place. Five weeks before the games, which were his career high point and the end, he broke his right foot during training and was able to start only with a supporting custom product. Addition to that, only three days before the expiry of the deadline came the approval of the Czechoslovak Union for the start, which was a prerequisite for the nomination. After his playing career Zajonc 1990 Luge coaches and supervises the junior squad of the United States. He lives in Lake Placid.