Fortune favors risk-taker Grotheer, Germany's new golden boy

Newly crowned Olympic champion Christopher Grotheer has carved out an athletic career characterized by risk-taking and adventure.

The German switched from ski jumping to skeleton in 2007, a move which brought no guarantees of success given no German male had previously won an Olympic medal in the discipline.

However, Grotheer, his teammate Axel Jungk and head coach Christian Baude have initiated a turnaround.

After winning five world championship titles from 2019 to 2021, Germany's skeleton team arrived in Beijing in bullish mood.

Their confidence was vindicated on Friday night in Yanqing, where Grotheer claimed gold, and Jungk took silver. China's Yan Wengang bagged bronze.

Grotheer lived up to his instinctive reputation when he decided to change his sled before the Olympics. "I took the old one from 2018 and put away the new one made for the Olympics," he said.

It turned out to be a golden decision.

Discussing the reasons for his Olympic success, the 29-year-old Grotheer said his world titles in 2020 and 2021 were hugely important milestones.

"That gave me a fundamental motivation boost," he said. "These two titles gave me confidence."

In his hometown of Erlau in eastern Germany, joyous celebrations erupted after he crossed the finish line.

His fiancee Mary Ann Heidisch was in floods of tears and announced that the couple will marry in May 2022 and plan to have children.