Wolfgang Pichler
Wolfgang Pichler ( born January 23, 1955 in Ruhpolding ) is a German biathlon and cross-country coach.
Wolfgang Pichler was initially the coach of Magdalena Forsberg, whom he led to numerous world titles and six overall World Cup victories. After her retirement from competitive sports Pichler remained the Swedish biathlon and trained alongside the men's team and the Swedish ladies. Anna Carin Olofsson First was the only active Swedish athlete in the World Cup, but gradually the Swedish national team grew by young talents so that now the maximum number of seven biathletes and seven biathletes of Sweden are at the World Cup races at the start.
At the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin Pichler was able to celebrate his greatest success as a coach. Olofsson first won the silver medal in the sprint. On the final day of the biathlon competitions she was Olympic champion in the mass start ahead of Kati Wilhelm, marking the first gold medal for a Swedish biathlete and the first gold medal in biathlon for Sweden meant for 46 years. In the Biathlon World Championships 2007 in Antholz, Italy, his Swedish mixed relay won (2 × 6 km and 2 x 7.5 miles) the gold medal. In 2007 he received the Swedish athletes as the Sportspegelns specialpris for his performances for the Swedish biathlon.
In the Biathlon World Championships 2009 won by Helena Jonsson another protégé of Pichler a gold medal, namely the pursuit race in Pyeongchang, she was also third in the mass start, the Swedish mixed relay came in second. Jonsson also won the Overall World Cup 2008/2009, it was after the second Magdalena Forsberg trained by him athlete who achieved this success.
As of 2004, Pichler trained for several years, the German cross-country skier Evi Sachenbacher floor. In the season 2010/2011 he was replaced as head coach by Staffan Eklund and was responsible only for the ladies this season. Since the spring of 2011, he was head coach of the Russian women, he should prepare in particular in Russia ( Sochi ) held the 2014 Winter Olympics. Beginning of April 2013 he was relieved of this post, but remains as responsible for functional training in the coaching staff.
Professionally, he is employed by the German customs, which exempts him for his work as a trainer. His cousin Walter Pichler is also a former biathlete and biathlon coach, his brother Claus Pichler Since May 2008, the mayor of his home town of Ruhpolding.