Klaus Bonsack
East German luger (1941–2023)
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Klaus Bonsack (26 December 1941 – 5 March 2023), also known as Klaus-Michael Bonsack, was an East German luger who competed during the 1960s and early 1970s.
Bonsack in 1969 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 26 December 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 5 March 2023 (aged 81) Innsbrück, Austria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Bonsack was born in Waltershausen, Thuringia on 26 December 1941. He won four Winter Olympic medals in men's luge, including one gold (doubles: 1968), one silver (singles: 1964), and two bronzes (singles: 1968, doubles: 1972).
Bonsack also won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships, including one gold (doubles: 1967), two silvers (doubles: 1965, singles: 1967), and two bronzes (singles: 1963, doubles: 1969).
Bonsack later served as chairman of the track construction commission, approving the final homologation of Cesana Pariol prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics for luge to compete at the track. He was among the first three inductees in the International Luge Federation (FIL) Hall of Fame in 2004, along with compatriot Margit Schumann and Italian luger Paul Hildgartner.
Bonsack later emigrated to Austria where he became a luge coach. One of his students, Doris Neuner, won gold in the women's singles event at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.
Bonsack died in Innsbruck on 5 March 2023, at the age of 81.[1][2]
