Karl Brunner

Karl Brunner belonged to the Carabinieri team Selva in the Val Gardena and competed on the international level in both singles and doubles. He finished second in the Italian Grand Prix In 1969 and 1970 was Italian junior champion and won the 1971 and 1972 Italian Championship. His first major international success came at the 1971 World Championships in Olang, where he won gold in the individual.

At later World Championships Brunner won two more silver medals, one each in singles (1979) and doubles (1977). During his career he participated in three Olympic Winter Games, his only Olympic medal coming in his last appearance at Lake Placid in 1980 in doubles with his partner Peter Gschnitzer. In the World Cup, Brunner made his début in 1977 at Königssee, immediately achieving his first win in doubles.

In Brunner’s career, he won four World Cup races, one in singles and three in doubles. In the overall standings of the World Cup he was ranked second in singles in 1980 and twice led doubles in 1978 and 1979, teaming up with Gschnitzer. He won three European Championship medals, one gold in 1980 in singles, and two bronze medals, one each in singles and double. Starting in 2006 Brunner was placed in charge of the Italian national junior luge team. In honor of his sporting achievements, he was awarded a Gold Medal by the Italian Olympic Committee.