René Sommerfeldt
René Sommerfeldt ( born October 2, 1974 in Zittau ) is a former German cross-country skiers. He became the first German cross-country skier in the 2003/04 season, the overall ranking of cross-country skiing World Cup. He is one next to Tobias Angerer and Axel Teichmann Germany's most successful cross-country skiers of the present.
- 3.1 Individual
- 3.2 Team
Life
Sommerfeldt was at the age of seven for the first time on cross-country skis. The talented athlete was able to quickly first successes and moved to the children's and youth sports school Klingenthal, where he also did his Abitur in 1993. After graduation, he joined as a sports soldier in the Bundeswehr ( sports promotion group Oberhof ). 1994 René Sommerfeldt to Oberwiesenthal and started for the Bavarian club WSV Oberweißenbrunn. Since 2001, he goes for the sports club WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal at the start. There he was trained, among others, Heinz Nestler, Holger Bauroth and Janko Neuber. Since 2010, he makes the coach training at the Coaches Academy in Cologne and works as a youth coach in the German Ski Association and at the base Oberwiesenthal.
He lives with his wife Dajana their son Tristan in Upper Wiesenthal.
Career
Junior time and first international medals ( 1994-2001 )
Even at the Junior World Championships in 1994 in Breitenwang let Sommerfeldt fifth 10-kilometer classic glimpse of his talent. In the following years inserts followed at the Continental Cup, where he was also placed in front of the field. His first try at the Cross Country World Cup had Sommerfeldt in January 1996 in the classic Czech Nove Mesto na Moravě about 15 km, where he was able to prove the 52nd place among 89 participants. A month later he was able to gather with 18th place 30 km free style his first World Cup points in Trondheim, Norway. In Lahti, Finland, he won over the same distance with eleventh place his best finish in the 1995/96 season, in which he could prove the 43rd place in the World Cup at the end. His first top ten placement reached the freestyle specialist 1997 Japanese Hakuba ninth place about 15 km freestyle. In the Nordic World Ski Championships 1997 in Trondheim, he finished 27th place in the pursuit. About 10 km classic he was 37 and with the German team, he finished sixth in the relay competition. Until the 1999/2000 season Sommerfeldt's stagnated services. At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, he finished in the pursuit competition the 29th place, about 50 km freestyle to 26th place, 10-kilometer classic and 38th in the team competition in eighth place. In the 1998/99 season Sommerfeldt could win World Cup points with eleventh place in the sprint in Garmisch -Partenkirchen. Otherwise, he placed just outside the points. Also at the Nordic World Ski Championships 1999 in Ramsau am Dachstein, it was enough just to places 40, 41 and 44 in the Pursuit competition, the 30 km free style and 10 km classic.
In the season 1999/2000 Sommerfeldt the breakthrough in the advanced world class. In Ulrichen he fought 10-kilometer freestyle with his first podium finish in third place. In addition, he was in the sprint competitions in Lahti and Garmisch -Partenkirchen, finished fourth and seventh rank. With eighth place on 30 km freestyle in Moscow and fifth place in the Pursuit competition in Bormio, he was able to record two further top ten placings. In the overall World Cup, he finished at the end of the season the thirteenth place. After the end of World Cup season Sommerfeldt went to at the Military World Championships in Saalfelden and won the title over 15 km freestyle. His second podium finish of the axis recorded a year later at Soldier Hollow, as he was able to prove the 30 km free style ( mass start ) behind Johann Mühlegg and Christan Hoffmann again the third place. This season could still three fourth places recorded in World Cup competitions and was in the World Cup with six first place ranked among the top ten. In the Nordic World Ski Championships 2001 in Lahti, he was in his first competition but only 34th in the pursuit. In the sprint, he reached the finals and occupied the eighth place. Over a distance of 50 km freestyle won Sommerfeldt behind Johann Mühlegg surprisingly the silver medal. As Sommerfeldt was overtaken by the two minutes later a started Spaniard, he joined himself to the ski tails and thus secured his first international medal. It was the first medal for German cross-country skiers at the World Championships since 1974. Together with Jens Filbrich, Andreas Schlütter and Ron Spanuth he could rejoice in the addition of the bronze medal in the relay competition after the doping- related disqualification of Finland.
Victory in the World Cup and knee problems (2001 to 2006)
After a moderate start to the 2001/ 02 season Sommerfeldt has focused entirely on the preparations for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and took of in early January 2002 up to the Olympics at any World Cup contest. In Salt Lake City, he finished the 30 km free style as the best German rider the 16th Place. In pursuit competition, he increased his power and was tenth. In relay competition, he won together with Jens Filbrich, Andreas and Tobias Angerer Schlütter surprising bronze medal behind Norway and Italy. Cage rotor Sommerfeldt quickly succeeded to overtake the Estonian runners ahead of him and the first German cross-country relay medal at the Olympic Games safe to cross the finish line. In the subsequent sprint competition he finished 19th place. At the end of the season to him about 50 km freestyle managed fifth place at the World Cup in Oslo his best result of the season. Right at the beginning of the 2002/ 03 won Sommerfeldt numerous placings in the top ten. So it came as no surprise that he was able to celebrate his first World Cup victory in the Russian Kawgolowo. About 10 km freestyle he won at minus 20 degrees well before Mathias Fredriksson and Axel Teichmann. The highlight of the season, the Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 in Val di Fiemme was due to health problems in the individual competitions with 18 seats in the pursuit, 19 and 23 in the sprint over 50 km freestyle disappointing. But, as before, at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City succeeded the German relay to intervene in the fight for the medals. After a good start by Jens Andreas Fillbrich Schlütter handed to fifth lying on Sommerfeldt, which could reduce the gap to the top and handed over fourth Axel Teichmann. Teichmann managed to take the lead together with the Norwegian Thomas Alsgaard. After a nail-biting finish, the German squadron won the silver medal and celebrate the greatest success for 29 years. After Sommerfeldt repeatedly allowed to wear the yellow jersey for the World Cup leader, he had to finish the season only the outstanding Mathias Fredriksson beaten. Also in the Sprint Cup, he reached his best placement with tenth place. After the end of World Cup season, he started at the Military World Championships in Rovaniemi, where after 2000 he won the gold medal in the 15 km freestyle for the second time.
In the 2003 /04 season succeeded Sommerfeldt, to increase compared to the previous again. In 16 of the 18 World Cup competitions in which he participated, he could run in the top ten. He won the pursuit competition in Oberstdorf and the 50 km freestyle in Oslo. There were five other podium finishes. With these services, he managed to keep last year's winner in the World Cup, Mathias Fredriksson at a distance and with a lead of 350 points to win at the end of the first German cross-country skiers the overall World Cup. The Rating Distance race, he was able to confidently decide for themselves. On this success Sommerfeldt could also connect to the start of the following season and repeatedly fight for the podium, although he was hampered by a knee injury that he suffered in the summer playing football. During the year, however, he was more frequently plagued by knee problems, so that he was unable to repeat his true capability at the home World Cup in Oberstdorf. The 28th place in the Pursuit competition was the best result he could reach. About 15 km freestyle, there was only enough for 34th place. In relay competition, he was not even used, after which he left early. After the World Cup Sommerfeldt denied only two World Cup competitions, finishing at the end of the season yet to fifth place in the World Cup, which was won by Axel Teichmann. After he had to reduce his training greatly because of knee problems, he was in season 2005/ 06 unable to build on the achievements of recent years, and get it to him rarely top- ten finishes. At the Olympic Winter Games in 2006 Sommerfeldt was also still weakened by a stomach flu, so he had to end the persecution competition prematurely. In the unloved classical technique he managed over 15 km with eleventh place a respectable result. In relay competition, he was able to convince and won with his teammate Jens Filbrich, Andreas and Tobias Angerer Schlütter the silver medal in the relay competition behind hosts Italy. About 50 km freestyle he was weakened only occupy the 36th place by the disease.
Comeback and renewed health problems (2006 to present)
The 2006/07 season began for Sommerfeldt with mixed results. In the inaugural Tour de Ski he once fell in the second competition, the pursuit in Oberstdorf, hopeless place 40 back. While it succeeded by his second place on 15 km classic cut down on the next stage of his gap, but in the end he remained in spite of fifth place in the final mountain tracking only the overall 15 Even at the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2007 could be included in the individual competitions not place in the top ten, whereupon he was not nominated for the relay competition. In pursuit competition, he finished as the worst German to 13th place, about 15 km freestyle he was 19 and in the final competition on 15 km classic, he finished 15th place. At the end of the season, just like last year he finished in 17th place overall World Cup, he won fourth place in Oslo on 50 km classic his best result of the season. Only in the 2007/ 08 season succeeded Sommerfeldt, regain connection to the top. With consistent performances he fought his way to second place in the Tour de Ski 2007/08. He succeeded vorzulaufen in the final mountain tracking with the best time of all starters from ninth to second place. With two more second places in Canmore and Lahti and other top - ten finishes, he was able to secure second place in the overall World Cup again. In preparing for the 2008/ 09 season Sommerfeldt was limited by complaints to the Achilles tendon. For the season opener in Gällivare he could only occupy the 54th place and then put due to a muscle problem a break from competition. Also in the Tour de Ski 2008/ 09 he did not go back to old performance and also had to go to the third stage due to a cold end prematurely the tour. Before he could engage in the competition scene again, he was injured playing volleyball and suffered a ligament strain. In his first start since the Tour de Ski him in Rybinsk with space 15 through 15 km freestyle succeeded his best season placement and partial qualification for the Nordic World Ski Championships 2009. At the World Championships in Liberec he had in his two starts over 30 km pursuit and 50 km free each pitch by stock breaks. Nevertheless, he achieved a 6th place in the 50 km race. At the World Cup finals in Falun succeeded in finishing fifth in the prologue to his best season placement. He finished the season ranked 61 in the World Cup. Through an eleventh place on the penultimate stage of the Tour de Ski 2009/10 Sommerfeld secured the ticket for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. On the last stage he proved seventh place again his climbing skills and fought his way up to sixth place overall before. At the 30 km pursuit competition in Rybinsk he fought in the absence of much of the world's elite with his best season in fourth place ranking. In Vancouver, he finished in 35th place on 15 km freestyle and was 21 in the Pursuit competition. With the German season, he finished 6th place. In his last Olympic use, the classic 50 kilometers, he was again 21 On March 16, 2010 announced Sommerfeldt on to finish his career at the end of the season 2009/10. He played his last World Cup race on March 21, 2010 in Falun (SWE ). It strives to achieve coaching career at DSV. His last season he finished in twelfth place in the overall World Cup and distance.
World Cup wins
Singles
( DS ) = stage win in the course of Tour de Ski
Team
1 with Jens Filbrich, Axel Teichmann and Tobias Angerer
Awards
- Choice Nordicum to Ski King of the Year for the 2003/04 season by international sports journalists Forum
- 2003 and 2004 in Saxony Sportsman of the Year
- 2004 second place in the election of Germany's Sportsman of the Year
- Four-time winner of the Golden skis in the category cross country men