German Bobsledder Lochner Retires With 2 Olympic Golds

Johannes Lochner just proved that some stories really do have fairy tale endings.

The German bobsled pilot wrapped up his 12-year career at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina with double gold medals in both the 2-man and 4-man bobsled events. For an athlete who's spent over a decade racing down icy tracks at breakneck speeds, there's no better way to cross the finish line one last time.

Lochner's career reads like a highlight reel from the start. He competed in his first international races in early 2014 and won silver at the Junior World Championships just weeks later. By January 2015, he was already piloting his own bobsled and shockingly won silver at the World Championships in his debut season.

The timing put him on a collision course with Francesco Friedrich, who would become both his fiercest competitor and closest friend. Friedrich dominated the sport with four Olympic golds and 16 World Championship titles, but Lochner never backed down. He racked up 43 World Cup victories and seven overall World Cup titles across his career.

Their rivalry produced some unforgettable moments. At the 2017 World Championships, the two finished with identical times down to the hundredth of a second and shared gold at Königssee. Despite racing against each other in over 150 World Cup races and three Olympic Games, Friedrich was always the first to congratulate Lochner on victories, and Lochner did the same.

Why This Inspires

What makes Lochner's story special isn't just the medals. It's how he competed with grace against a once-in-a-generation talent and still carved out his own legendary career. The two athletes even traded push athletes in recent seasons, showing that mutual respect can coexist with fierce competition.

Bobsledding also runs in Lochner's blood. His uncle Rudi Lochner became World Champion in 1991 and won Olympic silver in 1992, making the family name synonymous with excellence in the sport.

At the Milano Cortina games, the two rivals stood together on the Olympic podium one final time, with Lochner taking gold and Friedrich earning silver in the 4-man event. After 12 years of pushing each other to be better, they got to share that final moment as the two most successful bobsled pilots of their generation.

Johannes Lochner proved you can chase excellence, respect your rivals, and go out on top all at once.