Armin Zoeggeler Italian flag bearer in Sochi

Never designation of an Italian flag bearer at the Olympic Winter Games was more than deserved , given the monstrous palmares athlete , not surprisingly dubbed the " Cannibal " as the cyclist Eddy Merckx . In a twenty-year career Zöggeler , who turns 40 on 4 January, has won ten World Cups artificial track luge (1998 2000 2001 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 and 2011) , as many as the Austrian Markus Prock , and 55 successes in Cup races and 99 podiums in total , which are to be added six gold (1995 1999 2001 2003 2005 and 2011 ), three silvers (2000 , 2007 and 2009) and a bronze world (2012) and two golds (2002 and 2006) , one silver (1998 ) and two Olympic bronze medals (1994 and 2010). In a word, the Italian athlete most successful in the history of winter sports and not just as well as the most successful athlete in the history of the sled .

For the upcoming Games of the policeman Lana will be looking for a company that has never managed to anyone win the sixth medal in the same event in six consecutive editions of the Olympic Games , as he on five there are the German luger Georg Hackl , of course in the men's singles as Zöggeler , and Germany's Claudia Pechstein in the 5000 -meter speed skating . Recall that Zöggeler for the first time since 1995 had missed the last World Championships in Whistler to focus on testing the gut Russian. It is worth mentioning also that Armin had previously refused the role of standard-bearer to focus on the race usually begins the day after the opening ceremony .

Here are the declarations of President Malagò on the site of Fisi : " Armin has won two Olympic gold medals , one silver and two bronze medals , is the greatest athlete of all time in his sport and the only one of any sport of winter Olympic disciplines that can aspire to take the sixth consecutive medal . 'm very happy with this choice , I thank Armin and the Carabinieri to have been a staunch ally of this decision , which honors and rewards our country. " Zöggeler happens as ensign blue winter Giorgio Di Centa and is the third of his sport after Hildgartner Paul , who was even twice, and Gerda Weissensteiner .

Here is the list of the Italian flag bearer in past editions of the Winter Olympics :

Chamonix 1924 Leonardo Bonzi (bob)

St. Moritz 1928 Ferdinand Glück (cross country )

Lake Placid 1932 Erminio Sertorelli (cross country )

Garmisch -Partenkirchen , 1936: Adriano Guarnieri (Alpine skiing )

St. Moritz 1948 Vittorio Chierroni (Alpine skiing )

Oslo 1952 Fides Romanin (cross country )

Cortina d' Ampezzo 1956 Tito Tolin ( ski jumping )

Squaw Valley 1960: Bruno Alberti (Alpine skiing )

Innsbruck 1964: Eugenio Monti (bob)

Grenoble 1968: Clotilde Fasolis (Alpine skiing )

Sapporo 1972: Luciano De Paolis (bob)

Innsbruck 1976 : Gustavo Thoeni (Alpine skiing )

Lake Placid 1980 : Gustavo Thoeni (Alpine skiing )

Sarajevo 1984 : Paul Hildgartner ( sledding )

Calgary 1988 : Paul Hildgartner ( sledding )

Albertville 1992 : Alberto Tomba ( Alpine skiing)

1994 Lillehammer : Deborah Compagnoni (Alpine skiing )

Nagano 1998 : Gerda Weissensteiner ( sledding )

Salt Lake City 2002 : Isolde Kostner (Alpine skiing )

Turin , 2006: Carolina Kostner ( Figure Skating )

Vancouver 2010: Giorgio Di Centa (cross country )