Born: 1978 (Erfurt, Germany)
Anja Schneiderheinze (born 8 April 1978 in Erfurt) is a German bobsledder and speed skater.
Career:
Schneiderheinze began her athletic career as a speed skater. In 1993, she became the German champion in the all-around in the C-juniors category. She continued to excel in speed skating and won the German championships in the 16 to 19 age group in 1995 and in the A-juniors category in 1997. In 1995, she also set the German junior women’s record in the 100 meters. Schneiderheinze participated in the World Junior All-Around Championships in 1996 and 1997, finishing eleventh both times.
In 1998, Schneiderheinze earned the bronze medal at the German Sprint All-Around Championships, placing behind Anke Baier and Monique Garbrecht. She also competed in her only race in the Speed Skating World Cup in Baselga di Pinè, finishing 14th in the 1000 meters.
In 2001, Schneiderheinze made the transition to bobsleigh and formed a successful two-woman bobsleigh team with Sandra Kiriasis until the 2006/07 season. Together, they had an impressive record, winning the overall World Cup in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. They also won the World Championship title in Calgary in 2005 and finished second in the 2004 World Championships in Königssee. The pinnacle of their success came at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, where they won the gold medal.
However, in the 2006/07 season, Schneiderheinze faced new challenges when Kiriasis chose to use other brakewomen, such as Berit Wiacker and Romy Logsch. Schneiderheinze participated in races with Susi Erdmann’s bobsleigh but narrowly missed out on winning a medal at the 2007 World Championships, finishing in fourth place.
Since the summer of 2007, Schneiderheinze has been active as a pilot in bobsleigh. In her first international start as a pilot, she won the European Cup in Igls with her pusher, Patricia Polifka. Schneiderheinze continued her success in the European Cup, winning the overall standings in 2007/08, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
In January 2011, Schneiderheinze made her debut as a pilot in the World Cup. She finished second in her first race in Igls, behind Shauna Rohbock with Christin Senkel as her pusher. Schneiderheinze went on to secure second place in the next two races and achieved a remarkable tenth place overall in the World Cup, despite only participating in the second half of the season.
She also earned a silver medal at the European Championships in Winterberg, finishing second behind Kiriasis and Wiacker. At the World Championships in Königssee, Schneiderheinze placed eighth.
In the 2011/12 season, Schneiderheinze competed in all eight races of the World Cup for the first time as a pilot. She started the season with a victory in Igls and went on to win another race in St. Moritz. She consistently performed well, finishing no worse than seventh in any race and securing second place in the overall standings.
Awards:
– Gold Medal, 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin (bobsleigh)
– Overall World Cup Winner, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 (bobsleigh)
– World Championship Title, 2005 (bobsleigh)
– European Cup Winner, 2007/08, 2009, 2010, and 2011 (bobsleigh)
– Silver Medal, European Championships (bobsleigh)
Anja Schneiderheinze has made remarkable achievements in both speed skating and bobsleigh throughout her career. She has consistently displayed her athleticism, determination, and skill, earning numerous accolades along the way. Her success has made her a notable figure in the world of winter sports and has inspired future generations of athletes.