Amelie KOBER |
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While insiders knew that Amelie Kober would be a big bet for the 2006 Olympics, it was the first time that the rest of the world took a real notice of the young German race boarder after she grabbed Silver in Torino thus fulfilling a long life dream after she watched her first ever Olympics on TV (Lillehammer 1994).
From there on, the life of the Fischbachau resident turned upside down not only having experienced the most interest of media a German snowboarder ever had but also knowing that from her biggest success ever on, high hopes of the national federation would be pinned on her shoulders.
And still, the 22-years-old rider, who switched from skiing to snowboarding aged twelve, is the biggest medal hope Germany can throw in at major events like Olympic Winter Games or FIS Snowboard World Championships. That she is capable of handling this high pressure Amelie proved in 2007 by taking home Silver in the Parallel Giant Slalom at the WCS held in Arosa, Switzerland.
But the run people who have followed her career will remember most might be her eighth final against Nicolien Sauerbreij (NED) at the 2006 Olympics. The Dutch rider brought in an advantage of 1.5sec (the maximum penalty time) but Kober chased her down all the way finally winning the heat by one hundredths. From there on, the ball get rolling - and from there on she is also the one whom athletes are afraid of most to have her breathing down their neck.
Right after the Olympic 2006 season, not only WCS Silver followed, the motor cyclist also won her first ever World Cup in Landgraaf (2006) - with seven more to come in a total of 61 World Cup starts until end of January 2010.
In addition, the probably best female carver on tour, who celebrated her first ever podium as runner-up in Soelden 2005 aged 17, also showed that she has got a long breath when it comes down to the race for the Crystal Globe. In the 2008/2009 season she clinched the title in the very last race of the winter in Valmalenco, Italy, by winning the fourth race in a row.
But this true competitor is also ambitious besides the sport. In the 2009/2010 season Amelie Kober finished her training in order to become police officer although the most of her class did bet that she would be the one bringing home the worst test result - she proved them wrong.
Now, with the focus back 100% on the sport, the Olympic dream shall go on for her - it would be the next perfect chapter in „Le Fabuleux Destin D'Amelie Poulain".