Bob icon André Lange is donating his first World Championship gold medal to the reconstruction of the medieval Neutorturm tower in Arnstadt. "I don't want to engage in disaster tourism and I don't just want to look affected, which is why I have decided to auction off my very first World Championship gold medal," said the 50-year-old. "It's the first World Championship gold of my career and means a lot to me. The tower is a piece of identity for the people of Arnstadt and that's why it's a matter close to my heart."
The four-time Olympic champion and eight-time World champion won gold in 2000 with his pushers Lars Behrendt, René Hoppe and Carsten Embach in Altenberg. "It was the beginning of February 2000 and I had narrowly missed out on gold in the two-man bobsleigh the previous week. In the 4-man, I just wanted to bring it home in front of 30,000 spectators," said Lange. The auction on ebay is due to start at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
