Christoph Langen (born 27 March 1962 in Cologne

Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

, North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

) is a German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 bobsledder who competed for the West German and German national team from 1985 to 2005 (as a pilot from 1991). Competing in three Winter Olympics, he won four medals with two golds (Two-man: 2002

2002 Winter Olympics

The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

, Four-man: 1998

1998 Winter Olympics

The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...

) and two bronzes (Two-man: 1992

1992 Winter Olympics

The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...

, 1998).

Langen was slowed by injuries to his Achilles tendon

Achilles tendon

The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...

, which required two surgeries

Surgery

Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...

. He attempted to compete for the 2006 Winter Olympics

2006 Winter Olympics

The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

 in Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

, but his injuries proved too much. He was a bobsleigh

Bobsleigh

Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....

 television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 commentator in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 until promoted to head coach of the German national team in June 2010.

Langen also won twelve medals at the FIBT World Championships

FIBT World Championships

The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...

 with eight golds (Two-man: 1993

FIBT World Championships 1993

The FIBT World Championships 1993 took place in Igls, Austria and La Plagne, France . This was Igls's fourth time hosting the championships, doing so previously in 1935 and 1963, and 1991 . Meanwhile, La Plagne was hosting its first championship event.-Selection issue:Igls was not the first...

, 1995

FIBT World Championships 1995

The FIBT World Championships 1995 took place in Winterberg, Germany and Lillehammer, Norway . This was the first time both cities hosted a championship event.-Two man bobsleigh:...

, 1996

FIBT World Championships 1996

The FIBT World Championships 1996 took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a second time, hosting the event previously in 1992 . It marked the first time the bobsleigh and skeleton competition took place in the same location at the championships since 1982.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man...

, 2000

FIBT World Championships 2000

The FIBT World Championships 2000 took place in Altenberg, Germany , Winterberg, Germany , and Igls, Austria . Altenberg hosted the championship event for the fourth time, doing so previously in 1991 , 1994 , and 1999...

, 2001

FIBT World Championships 2001

The FIBT World Championships 2001 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Calgary, Alberta, Canada...

; Four-man: 1991

FIBT World Championships 1991

The FIBT World Championships 1991 took place in Altenberg, Germany and Igls, Austria . This was Altenberg's first time hosting a championship event. Igls was hosting its third, doing so previously in 1935 and 1963...

 (as a brakeman), 1996, 2001) and four silvers (Two-man: 1999

FIBT World Championships 1999

The FIBT World Championships 1999 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and Altenberg, Germany . Cortina hosted the championships for the ninth time, previously doing so in 1937 , 1939 , 1950, 1954, 1960, 1966, 1981, and 1989...

, 2004

FIBT World Championships 2004

The FIBT World Championships 2004 took place in Königssee, Germany for the fourth time, doing so previously in 1979, 1986, and 1990 . This marked the first time all the events were in a single location at the championships since the 1996 event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-Two man:-Four man:-Two...

; Four-man: 2000, 2004).

He also won the Bobsleigh World Cup combined event twice (1995-6, 1998-9), the two-man event three times (1995-6, 1998-9, 2003-4), and the four-man event once (1998-9).

Additional championships

• European champion 2-man crew: 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2004
• European champion 4-man crew: 1996, 1999