Lochner Johannes - TUM Community

Olympic champion and TUM alumnus Johannes with his two silver medals, which he won in the two-man bobsleigh and the four-man bobsleigh at the 2022 Olympic Games (Picture: BSD/Viesturs Lacis).

Alumni athletes

Olympic Champion Johannes Lochner

“Your Always Have to Keep the Goal in Mind”

05. Apr 2022 |

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TUM alumnus Johannes Lochner (Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology 2015, Master 2021) had been working towards the Olympic Games for a long time. In 2018 in Pyeongchang, he and his team finished in 8th place, and four years later he stood on the long-awaited podium and could hardly believe his success: Johannes Lochner won the silver medal in both the two-man and four-man bobsleds – both times together with pusher and TUM student Florian Bauer. In the interview, he tells us how to become an Olympic champion and combine professional sport with full-time studies.

Congratulations on your Olympic victory, dear Mr. Lochner. How does it feel to come back from Beijing with two medals in your suitcase?

Thank you very much! We can still hardly believe ourselves what happened there in Beijing and that we could really bring home two medals now.

Was this the biggest challenge you have mastered so far?

For years, the biggest challenge for me has been time management. Completing a good university degree and successfully pursuing professional sports at the same time requires very big sacrifices in my private life. Unfortunately, in order to satisfy your own ambition, you often have to set priorities at the expense of others. Of course, that’s not always easy for me either.

Participating in the Olympic Games alone is a great challenge for any athlete. You did this alongside your studies. How did you prepare for the Olympics?

I knew that I had to complete my master’s thesis last summer in order to start the Olympic season with peace of mind and a clear head. Otherwise, of course, there was a lot of consistent athletic training and bobsleigh modelling on the to-do list.

Johannes Lochner and Florian Bauer at the start of the two-man bob (Picture: Viesturs Lacis).

In 2018 you didn’t manage to win a medal, but in 2022 you won two. What did you do differently this time?

I came back from Pyeongchang 2018 already very dejected, and I knew that I definitely had to change something to be successful in Beijing. The biggest role is played by my mental attitude, which I have worked on a lot. In addition, my private backup and harmony in the team are extremely important for me. When I know that everything is okay at home, I get along great with my teammates, and the pressure is finally off to finish my degree, then it seems like I’ll have enough to win two medals. In addition, I didn’t feel comfortable in Korea and didn’t get along so well with the track; this was much better in China right from the start.

In your opinion, what is the most important quality to be successful in sports, precisely in bobsledding, for example?

In my opinion, the most important qualities for sporting success are willpower, getting the best possible out of your body, gritting your teeth even if there’s a lean period, and always having the goal in mind. Of course, bobsledding also requires many motor skills: speed, maximum strength, reaction speed and a certain talent on the steering ropes.

Florian Bauer and you are both students at TUM. Do you ever talk about your studies during the training?

Florian Bauer and I only exchange thoughts about our studies from time to time during the season. In winter, the focus is 100 percent on bobsledding.

What’s next for you after the Olympics? And what will you do in the summer?

At the moment, I have to let the events settle down before I can start planning my future. I want to enjoy this summer to the fullest and go on vacation again without any time pressure. I’m also really looking forward to being able to lay the foundations for my future working life in the summer. It remains to be seen whether I will get back into the bobsled next season.

Johannes Lochner

B.Sc. 2015 and Master 2021 in Electronic Engineering and Information Technology

Johannes Lochner studied Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at TUM (Bachelor 2015, Master 2021). For the man from Schönau, bobsledding was part of his studies, and he very successfully pursued the professional sport on the side.

He has won several medals at European and World Championships and won the silver medal with his team in the two-man and four-man bobsleds at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. You can also read about how he has mastered the traversal between university and high-performance sports in the 2018 alumni story.

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