Francesco Friedrich German bobsledder Date of Birth: 02.05.1990 Country: Germany

Biography of Francesco Friedrich

Francesco Friedrich, a German bobsledder, has been representing the German national team since 2006. He is a two-time junior world champion, a multiple world champion in two-man bobsleigh, and a participant in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Before transitioning to bobsleigh, Friedrich was involved in track and field athletics at a professional level.

Born on May 2, 1990, in Pirna, Saxony, Francesco Friedrich was actively involved in sports from a young age. During his youth, he primarily participated in track and field competitions, but in 2006, he made the switch to bobsleigh and became a pilot immediately. Initially, his brother David was his brakeman, but during a training run in Altenberg, David sustained a serious injury and decided to retire from professional sports.

In the 2007/08 season, Friedrich finished eighth in the German Championships, earning him the right to compete in international events. Two years later, he consistently placed in the top ten in the European Cup stages. The turning point in Friedrich's career came in 2011 when he won a gold medal in two-man bobsleigh and a silver medal in four-man bobsleigh at the Junior World Championships in Park City, USA. These victories allowed him to participate in the World Championships on his home track in Königssee, where he finished in eleventh place in the two-man event. However, in the mixed bobsleigh and skeleton competition, he teamed up with brakeman Florian Beck and went on to win the World Championship title.

In January 2012, Friedrich made his World Cup debut and finished in the top ten with his four-man team at the St. Moritz track in Switzerland. With impressive performances in the World Cup races, he qualified for the World Championships in Lake Placid, but this time, he missed out on winning any medals, finishing fourth in the two-man event and ninth in the four-man event. In 2013, he won a bronze medal in the two-man event at the European Championships in Igls, Austria, and secured victory in the same event at the World Championships in St. Moritz. He also won a silver medal in the mixed bobsleigh and skeleton competition.

Thanks to a series of successful performances, Friedrich earned the right to represent his country at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, where he finished eighth in the two-man event and placed in the top ten in the four-man event. Francesco Friedrich is considered one of the youngest pilots in the history of the German national team, as he was able to break into the main team at the age of twenty and not only secure a spot, but also win gold at the World Championships. In addition to his bobsledding career, Friedrich also serves in the German Armed Forces.