Berchtesgaden (RWH) Christian Baude leads the German national skeleton team into the new winter sports season as head coach skeleton. The 37-year-old succeeds Dirk Matschenz, who had reached an agreement with the German federation BSD (Bob- und Schlttenverband für Deutschland to terminate his contract after the BMW IBSF World Championships 2020 in Altenberg. As the federation reports, the BSD's executive board will express its confidence in Christian Baude at the annual sports committee meeting of the BSD on Wednesday. The meeting in Berchtesgaden will take place as a video conference for the first time.
"We are pleased that with Christian Baude we can appoint a head coach, which is the result of an amicable decision of the entire skeleton team", said BSD chairman and sports director Thomas Schwab in the press release.
Christian Baude started his career in 1990 as a luge athlete in the doubles with Marcel Lorenz. Together, the duo won bronze at the 2002 Junior World Championships. After switching to skeleton sports in 2008, Christian Baude claimed numerous podium places in the Europe Cup and won the overall ranking of the racing series in 2011. Since the end of his athletic career in 2012, the Thuringian has been active as a coach in Germany and most recently coached, amongst others, World Champion Christopher Grotheer. ©RWH2020
Photo: BSD/©Klaus Listl