Germany Has 1st Olympic Skeleton Champion
Feb 11, 2022, 8:21 AM | Updated: 4:49 pm
Nathan Crumpton of Team American Samoa slides during the Men's Skeleton heats on day six of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Sliding Centre on February 10, 2022 in Yanqing, China. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
(Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Germany has its first Olympic skeleton champion.
Christopher Grotheer was a runaway winner in the men’s skeleton event that ended Friday night, the first German to win gold in the discipline where sliders navigate the icy chute headfirst at speeds that can exceed 80 mph.
Grotheer’s four-run time over two days of competition was 4:01.01. Axel Jungk, another German, won the silver medal in 4:01.67 and Yan Wengang of China won the bronze in 4:01.77.
It was China’s first Olympic medal in a sliding sport.
American Samoa’s Nathan Crumpton finished second-last and some 5.79 seconds off the pace.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Just a year after Japan’s summer Olympics, the Games are back for a winter show in Beijing, China. The unusually short gap between Games is due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Strict precautions and enforced virus prevention protocol are in place to help keep athletes, coaches and personnel safe.
Beijing is the capital of China, with a population of more than 20 million people and the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympic games. It is one of the largest cities in the world and 15 hours ahead of Mountain Time. There are 13 different venues in and around Beijing that will be used for the Winter Olympics. A total of 109 events will be held in 15 different sports, and there will be a lot of Utah locals competing for medals. Keep up to date with them at our Olympic headquarters.
Follow along on social for Olympic stories, news and medal updates.
Follow our Olympic team for special coverage and exclusive content.
