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Ice channel at Königssee: Construction delays shock athletes and fans!
Construction delays on the ice channel in Schönau am Königssee are postponing the reopening. Athletes and associations express concern.
Ice channel at Königssee: Construction delays shock athletes and fans!
In Schönau am Königssee, the construction delay on the ice channel is causing great disappointment among athletes and those responsible. As Chiemgau24 reports, the reopening of the traditional artificial ice rink, which is the home rink of Olympic champions like Felix Loch and Georg Hackl is known to be postponed for another year. It was originally planned to be restarted for the coming season, but now national and international competitions, including the Junior World Championships in Skeleton and the Luge World Cup, have to be awarded to other organizers.
Thomas Schwab, the CEO of the Bobsleigh and Sled Association for Germany (BSD), expresses concern: “If we don’t manage to do that, we could really close.” This gloomy forecast reflects the effects of the severe weather disaster in 2021, which caused massive damage to the railway. The resulting destruction means a setback of around eight years for the youth sector, which puts a lot of strain on the coaches and players, including local greats like Johannes Lochner.
Reconstruction and challenges
The reconstruction of the railway has begun, but there were unexpected delays. The standard TÜV inspection of the refrigerant pipeline that runs under the railway requires additional work. Providing the required 80 pipe welders at short notice turned out to be impossible. The construction site is currently being slowly cleared. Despite these difficulties, the forecast remains bleak, as Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber (CSU) emphasized in a speech the urgent situation with no clear prospect of an early improvement.
The total costs for reconstruction are now over 50 million euros. This includes the construction of new rockfall protection measures over a length of 800 meters and the repair of the existing fences. This is necessary in order to better equip the railway against extreme weather events in the future. However, environmental organizations criticize the reconstruction. The Federal Nature Conservation Association warns of high risks from loose rock that could not be adequately secured by the upcoming measures.
Consequences for sport
The reopening of the track is not only important for sports operations, but also for the development of young talent. As BR states, those responsible are planning for the bobsledders and tobogganers to be able to fully resume training in November 2025. Felix Loch, one of the most famous athletes, emphasizes the importance of the track for promoting young talent.
The ice channel situation at Königssee represents not only a sporting but also a social challenge. Emotions are running high and the lack of their own training facility is seen as a huge setback by many athletes. The hope for an early normalization remains, but the challenges are numerous and require a lot of patience and perseverance from everyone involved.