As of: February 17, 2024, 9:05 p.m
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Sepp Lautenbacher and Sepp Bosch from Weilheim financed the bobsleigh with which they raced to victory in St. Moritz 60 years ago from their own pockets.
© Heberlein
If you believe the locals, Weilheim was built on hell because there is rarely snow here.
It is all the more astonishing that 60 years ago a Weilheim bobsleigh team caused quite a stir in St. Moritz.
Weilheim
– The subscribers to the Weilheimer Tagblatt found out in the weekend edition of 15/16 at the latest.
February 1964 - if they didn't already know from the word of mouth that occurs in such cases - that the Weilheim bobsledders Sepp Lautenbacher and Sepp Bosch had achieved a surprise success in St. Moritz "in bitterly cold weather and excellent track conditions".
Especially in the second run, they confidently relegated defending champion and Olympic sixth-place finisher Franz Wörmann from SC Riessersee to second place.
After winning the Austrian international championship on the Olympic track in Igls, Tyrol, winning the German championship in the two-man bobsleigh was the duo's second success in the winter of 1963/64.
Already very successful the day before
But that's not all, because the Tagblatt also reported on the stormy reception of the winning duo at Weilheim's Marienplatz: “The day before the championship races there was a real surprise for our Weilheim team.
In an international two-man bobsleigh race in which 34 bobsleighs took part, it even beat the English two-man bobsleigh Nash/Dixon, who won the gold medal in Innsbruck.
Here too, the Weilheim bobsleigh won ahead of the domestic and foreign bobsleigh elite.”
The 14 participating German two-man bobsleighs had to take 19 curves on the 1,800 meter long, beautifully landscaped track, whose height difference between start and finish is 180 meters.
“In the first round, the Weilheimer Lautenbacher/Bosch set the best time with 1:19.01 minutes,” as the track was “very hard due to the frost and therefore very fast.”
“Like an arrow through the smooth track”
Wörmann was almost hopelessly behind by more than a second plus.
Therefore, “Lautenbacher and Bosch put everything on one card in the second and final round.
After a rapid start, the Weilheim two-man bobsleigh raced like an arrow through the mirror-smooth track, then passed the dreaded Hornschuh curve at a top speed of around 130 kilometers per hour, took it halfway up very elegantly and with extreme concentration, Lautenbacher steered the Weilheim Podar sleigh to secure victory .
When the loudspeaker at the finish announced the incredibly fast time of 1:17.84, the race was over for our overjoyed Weilheim bobsledders.”
The local club, the Weilheim Bobsleigh Club, which is part of the TSV, was immediately informed by telephone of the fantastic success.
Since the winning duo returned on Saturday, February 15th, we had our hands full to give them a proper welcome.
With lively marching music performed by the Weilheim town band, at 12 p.m. sharp “the car turned into Marienplatz, where the winning team standing in the car was warmly welcomed by the cheering crowd.”
Mayor Johann Bauer as a congratulator
Mayor Johann Bauer was the first to congratulate and emphasized that, despite only being in existence for three years, the bobsleigh club had already achieved great successes, such as third place in the Bavarian championship in 1963.
And he added that as a special recognition for the victory, the city would cover the costs of the necessary purchase of a new “bobsleigh set”.
“With great applause, this gift from the city was happily accepted by the many people present.” This gift was all the more welcome since the previous expenses, including the purchase of the bobsleigh, which was purchased in used condition from the Riessersee Bobsleigh Club and has now led to the title, came out of one’s own pocket had denied.
What admirable enthusiasm the athletes showed back then!
Dr.
Joachim Heberlein
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