Lethbridge Olympic bobsleigh coach gears up for final push to Beijing 2022 Winter Games
With the Tokyo Summer Olympics over and the Summer Paralympic Games about to get underway, the world will soon be turning its attention to the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.
Lethbridge educator Florian Linder has already been hard at work, helping prepare China’s bobsleigh athletes for the Games, which will be held Feb. 4 to 20, 2022.
Linder was home in Lethbridge over the summer, getting some well-deserved family time after one of the most challenging years of his life -- training world class athletes in the midst of a global pandemic.
“It was a long season last year,” said Linder. “Being home is always nice, and mentally and emotionally it really kind of recharges you.”
Following the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, in which he helped coach the host team to a silver medal, Linder signed on as a technical coach and performance analyst for the Chinese bobsleigh team.
China has little experience in bobsleigh and turned to a team of Canadians to prepare its athletes for Beijing 2022.
The team initially did some of its training in Calgary before the COVID-19 pandemic threw the world and international sport into turmoil.
“Last year we went to China and in the midst of being over there, they decided not to have any of their teams travel last year,” said Linder.
“We actually stayed in China the whole winter, and that has never happened before."
Florian Linder with members of the Chinese bobsleigh team. (Photo courtesy Florian Linder)
China implemented strict restrictions during the pandemic, introducing harsh lockdowns to curb local outbreaks of COVID-19, along with strict border controls and travel restrictions.
When Linder arrived in China he immediately had to undergo three weeks of quarantine in a hotel room.
“You get tested at the airport and put on a bus that goes straight to a quarantine hotel,” he said.
Food was delivered to his door three times a day, and during the quarantine period, Linder was not allowed to leave his room.
“It was challenging,” said Linder, who described the experience as one of the toughest things he has ever had to endure.
Fortunately, he was able to call his family almost daily (Linder’s wife Jill Bakken won gold for the United States as a driver in Bobsleigh at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City) and focused on school work (doing his masters) to help him through the long period of isolation.
Linder said things were fairly normal once he got to the sliding complex and began working with the athletes.
“We’ve seen them develop over the last three years since we’ve been there,” said Linder, who is looking forward to seeing how they perform.
“They’re really gone from the sports they came from, such as track and field and rugby, and they’ve turned into bobsleigh athletes.”
With his brief summer break ending, Linder is now set to return to China, where he will have to go through another lengthy quarantine period before training resumes.
To prepare for the Winter Games, bobsleigh and skeleton athletes from around the world will come together at the new Yanqing Sliding Centre for an international training period, from Oct. 5 to 27.
Qualification for the Olympics is based on the world rankings over the 2021-2022 sliding season, which includes a series of races that conclude Jan. 16, 2022 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW AI helping to identify undiagnosed genetic disorders in children
Researchers have developed the world's first algorithm powered by artificial intelligence to identify children with undiagnosed rare genetic disorders.
Toronto awarded WNBA's first franchise outside U.S., with expansion team set to begin play in 2026
Toronto has been awarded the WNBA's first franchise outside the United States, with the expansion team set to begin play in 2026.
Healthy diets with only 10% ultraprocessed foods may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Canada 7th in foreign aid spending, but a fifth goes to refugees inside the country
While Canada is one of the top contributors to foreign aid among some of the world's richest countries, a fifth of the spending never leaves Canada's borders.
With 10K providers offering care to 2M seniors, health minister defends dental plan
Canada's dental care plan is 'getting there' Health Minister Mark Holland said Wednesday defending the program's rollout that's now seen two million seniors sign up, but just 10,000 oral health providers enrolled to treat them.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
'I feel betrayed': Ottawa-area customers out thousands of dollars warn of bad faith contractor
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.