This winter, luger Natalie Maag has had to battle against various obstacles: money worries and injury problems. But she draws many positive emotions from them.
09.02.2026, 05:00
09.02.2026, 07:40
SDA
Natalie Maag cannot hide her emotion and gratitude. Due to the financial problems at the national association Swiss-Sliding, she had to bear the additional expenses required for an Olympic season herself. So she launched a crowdfunding campaign in the fall - with resounding success.
One of the first to donate: Anna Berreiter, Olympic silver medal winner in Beijing and currently ranked sixth in the overall World Cup, two places ahead of Maag. "They say that in many sports, but in luge the team spirit is very special," enthuses the 28-year-old from the Zurich Oberland.
"We really are one big family. We also have a girls' group with Germans, Austrians and South Tyroleans and even go on vacation together." In the end, over 15,000 francs were raised - much more than expected. This also enabled her to continue her tried-and-tested collaboration with athletics coach and confidante Daniela Mühlebach, who is now also taking part in Cortina.
Mental challenge and inflamed finger
"That was a mega boost," says Maag gratefully. And it may have saved her season and even her career. "It was mentally difficult going into this season," she admits. "I got to a point where I wasn't sure if I could keep fighting." This also explains why she was unable to make the desired step forward after two podium finishes and 5th place overall last season. In addition, she had an inflamed finger, which restricted her at the start and forced her to take antibiotics.
However, Maag is now confident of improving on her 9th place from Beijing on Monday and Tuesday - not least thanks to her 3rd place in Oberhof in mid-January, which also brought her a European Championship bronze medal. "The relief was huge." The fact that she came 5th in the test competitions on the new Olympic track is also cause for optimism. "It's a very relaxed track," says the trained office administrator, who as a Swiss "solo fighter" has been embedded in the strong German team for several years and is fully accepted there.
A dozen podium candidates
She does not want to give up her dream of a medal completely. "The Olympics write their own stories and laws," says Maag. She believes the field is extremely evenly matched, with ten to twelve racers in contention for the podium. She cites Sigulda as an example, when she was only sixteenth after the first run - just two tenths behind. The minimum goal this time is a diploma, dreaming is allowed.
