Author: LetzebuergSkeleton

March 25, 2026 TAGEBLATT

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“I’m at peace with it”: A chapter ends for skeleton pilot Jeff Bauer

March 25, 2026 — Tageblatt
By Chrëscht Beneké

The dream of the Olympic Games drove Jeff Bauer for all these years. His age was no obstacle – on the contrary: the ambitious athlete always focused on further improvement. While Jared Firestone, a competitor of similar strength for many years, narrowly qualified for the Games this year, finishing 39th, Bauer himself slipped to 85th in the world rankings. The 52-year-old is now hanging up his dream – but not his sled.

At the North American Cup in Lake Placid on January 11, Jeff Bauer jumped on his sled for the last time in an international competition and finished 26th out of 31. Photo: John Bauer

Tageblatt: Another Olympic season has come to an end. How are you?

Jeff Bauer: I feel good. And I’m satisfied with what I’ve achieved this season. It wasn’t enough to qualify for the Games, but I gave it my all. I’ve continued to improve this season, so I’m happy. This chapter is now coming to an end, but I’m at peace with it. I’ve accomplished a lot and learned a great deal. It was a great honor to be able to compete at this level.

So, you won’t be hurtling down the ice track on a skeleton anymore? Won’t you miss it?

Skeleton is simply a fantastic sport. And I live so close to the track in Park City that I’ll probably slide down it again at one of the occasional club races. But it was a huge experience to compete in the sport, especially for Luxembourg. I started playing sports in Luxembourg as a child and even played basketball for Luxembourg as a teenager. It was a big part of my life, and when we moved, it wasn’t easy.

For me, it was overwhelming to later reconnect with Luxembourg and my youth through skeleton. Working in teamwork with COSL and the federation on my Olympic qualification gave me a lot of energy to continue working hard for my dream. I will miss that. I will also miss the energy and support from other teams. I really enjoyed training hard and preparing intensively.

“I have achieved a lot and learned a great deal. It was a great honor for me to be able to compete at this level.” — Jeff Bauer

You say you’ve improved further. Was it the start, the equipment, your age, or what was the reason that it still wasn’t enough for your dream of the Games?

That’s hard to say. I was always a bit slower at the start, but you can still make it to the finish quickly. My start didn’t help, and neither did my body; it was a tough season. I had to retire with a pulled muscle on my home track in Park City, and I’d also gotten food poisoning in Lake Placid. That made things more difficult, but it wasn’t the main reason. The main factor was the incredibly strong competition this season, with more drivers in total. The strongest field ever. And everyone gave it their all.

What was it like to watch this on television?

Of course, I would have preferred to be there myself, but I know them all well and was rooting for everyone; I didn’t have a favorite. They’re friends and colleagues. I know the challenge of skeleton, and there’s a lot of mutual respect in our small community. You race against the track, not against each other.

What is the challenge, or how do you drive fast?

The mental and physical aspects must be connected. Staying calm on the sled and feeling it is essential for good steering. Then you have to maintain your body shape and aerodynamics, knowing exactly where and how to steer on the track. You need confidence and many repetitions to know the track well. You can’t see far ahead, so you need to feel the track, not just your eyes. You have to recognize your position and what you need to do by the pressure you feel. You only truly know a track when you can anticipate what you’re going to feel and steer accordingly. This involves two or three runs a day. It can easily take a week to learn a track.

Only two or three runs and a similar number of minutes per day. Perhaps even Luxembourgers simply don’t get more ice time?

No. It’s simply that the G-forces are so high that they drain an enormous amount of energy from the body. This isn’t a question of age. Some tracks are a bit softer, and it’s manageable there, but you usually regret it afterward if you try a third run. It becomes especially difficult for the neck muscles, and hardly anyone can ski well after that. That’s why I noted down all my impressions immediately after each run; you have to get the most out of every moment.

In 2018, Jeff Bauer had achieved the Olympic qualifying standard, but did not yet possess a Luxembourg passport. Photo: John Bauer

You achieved the Olympic qualifying standard in 2018, but didn’t yet have your passport. Does it hurt in retrospect to have missed out on your dream like that?

The 2018 season is a part of my journey, a good part. It shows that I had the skills for the Olympics, the necessary level. I just couldn’t go.

And now this journey is over. Did you already know that when you started in Lake Placid in January, and how did you feel?

I have a great video of it, filmed by my nephew. I only watched it two months later, though, and it was quite emotional (gulps). I was both happy and sad. Normally you start pretty much on your own, but several coaches and pilots came to see me. (Pause) That respect, even from the officials at the track, means a lot to me. I never made a big deal out of my age. But here, and also when I made it to the final in Korea in December, officials and teams said I had impressed them. This trip was like a gift, I’m so grateful. And to my family, too. My parents came with me to basketball games when I was a kid, and now they were here at many of the races and loved it.

Skeleton was first introduced to the Luxembourg Ice Sports Federation (FLSG) thanks to you, and before Covid, two students from Innsbruck also tried the sport. Will it continue?

I’m trying to help the association, but no one had inquired about it since 2020. Until this season, with six or seven athletes. One of them even participated in a camp in St. Moritz. Like me, he has dual nationality, played lacrosse for Luxembourg for several years, and I hope he and others stick with it. It was a lot of work to start a team, and it would be great if it continues.

About Jeff Bauer

The grandfather had fought in Luxembourg during World War II and moved to the Grand Duchy with his son for a few years in the 1950s. The son returned with his son in the early 1980s for another decade.

During this time, Jeff Bauer, born in 1973, played basketball for several years on the national junior team. An engineer living near Park City, he discovered his passion for skeleton later in life and, at the age of 45, was accepted into the COSL elite squad in early 2019.

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Tageblatt article Nov 2025
Tageblatt article Nov 2025

At the age of 52, Jeff Bauer still has one goal in mind: participation in the Winter Olympics. To be there in Italy in February, the Skeleton has invested a lot for a few months. Soon the decisive qualification phase will begin for the COSL elite athlete – and with it the hunt for points for Cortina d’Ampezzo.

In sports, age honestly plays a decisive role. The body begins around the 30th. Age, to lose performance: the maximum oxygen intake decreases, one slows down, the regeneration capacity decreases, and it is more difficult to build muscle mass – all scientifically proven. Jeff Bauer doesn’t care much about all this. At the age of 52, he continues to pursue a great goal: his first participation in the Winter Olympics.

But he cannot completely ignore the fact that his body breaks down. “I need longer to recover from long and intense workouts,” he says. “But I don’t see my age as a big disadvantage. I am mentally very strong through all my experience. This is crucial. I am mentally stable and also have a healthy dose of self-confidence.”

The Luxembourger living in the USA feels the biggest disadvantages especially at the start. “Compared to younger athletes, I have lost vivacity and speed. At the start, I have been neither faster nor slower for years.” The start is the biggest challenge for Bauer, who started skeletoning at the age of 38. “I’m training him really hard. The start is the biggest challenge for me.” After that it goes upside down and lying on the stomach at over 100 kilometers per hour down the ice channel.

Long way to Italy

Like many winter sports enthusiasts, Bauer has had only one goal in mind for months: the 2026 Olympics. On the newly built track in Cortina d’Ampezzo, he will participate in his first Olympic Games in February. He is aware that the qualifying path to Italy will be rocky. “Italy is not a dream for me, but a destination. I have the potential to qualify.”

Last year, Bauer ranked 53rd in the world rankings. “Four countries are ahead of me, which I have to overtake in order to participate in the Olympics. I believe that 45th place could be enough this year. So it’s doable.” Bauer had already managed the Olympic qualification for Pyeongchang in 2018, but a delay in the exhibition of his Luxembourg citizenship prevented him from participating.

For Cortina, Bauer now has a new coach at his side: Brett Bousquet, former physiotherapist of the NBA team Milwaukee Bucks. “He brings enormous experience and is also my neighbor. We have a close relationship. He knows my body – he already helped me with rehabilitation after my hip surgery in October 2023 – and knows exactly what I went through.

“I did more than usual”

Together, Bauer and the Canadian worked hard. “I’ve done more than usual. I feel very good.” In the middle of the season preparation, Bauer also spent a week in Luxembourg to complete his “Médico”. He spent the night and trained in the Coque, had meetings and met old friends from his childhood in Luxembourg.

Soon the decisive phase begins for Bauer: The races in Whistler and Park City are due, at the end of November they go to Korea for three weeks to train there and participate in four competitions. “We’ll see which races I’ll participate in. It’s about where I can get the most points.”

However, if Bauer qualified for Italy, he would not be the oldest winter Olympian. The Swedish curler Carl August Kronlund was the oldest participant in the Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924 at the age of 58. Accordingly, Bauer would still have the chance to compete again in four years – even if Skeleton is certainly much more daring than curling

Physio from NBA makes Jeff Bauer fit for the Winter Olympics. A specialist from the Milwaukee Bucks supports the skeleton rider on his mission to Italy 2026. Luxemburger Wort Dec 2024

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You really have to be crazy to race down the ice channel on your stomach on a steel skeleton sled, gliding just a few centimeters above the ground, at 140 km/h. A sport for young people who are looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush. But a Luxembourg engineer with American roots also regularly ventures into the ice channel, except that Jeff Bauer is Knowing that he could achieve good results despite the pain, Bauer was drawn back to the ice rink. Until the pain became unbearable and sport was no longer an option. Only a rare operation was supposed to bring about improvement. "I found out about another type of hip replacement, 'hip resurfacing'. This operation is carried out in particular on professional athletes who suffer from hip osteoarthritis and want to return to sport. Andy Murray (tennis), Patrick Kane (ice hockey), Isaiah Thomas (basketball) are examples. This operation accounts for less than one percent of all hip replacement operations because the procedure is more difficult than a conventional hip prosthesis and requires a high degree of precision from the surgeon to ensure the operation is successful. In October 2023 it was my turn.” The operation was successful, but Bauer now began a long phase of full recovery. “One week after the operation with a specialist in Washington, I flew back home to Park City, and my physiotherapy began the next day,” Bauer says, delighted about a personal stroke of luck. “Brett Bousquet, the former physiotherapist for the NBA team Milwaukee Bucks, was assigned to me. Brett has already coached one of the best basketball players in the world, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and has also challenged me very hard from day one.” The hard work has paid off, step by step Bauer has regained his old physical strength and even expanded the support team around him. “I still work with Brett every week, as well as with Robin Pieper, my trainer from Austria, and Monya Maleki, a physiotherapist with a ballet background. With Monya I do once a week, flexibility and hip strength exercises via video conference." Impressive comeback with a medal On November 10, Bauer then set off from Park City to Whistler for a two-week training camp. He finally wanted to know how well he could still do on the ice track. "Whistler is the fastest track in the world, where speeds of up to 140 km/h can be reached. It is also very technical and falls are common in turn six. I was therefore very nervous, but it seemed to me to be the best choice to get my feeling back," said Bauer, who took part in his first competition since the World Championships in St. Moritz and Celerina just two weeks later (November 28 and 29). "It was my first race at the North American Cup. I was so grateful that I could be there, because a year ago at this time I could barely walk. I had two good races. On the first day I finished seventh out of 15 and was very happy with that result, even though my second run wasn't so good. The next day I had two very good runs and finished fifth. In my last run my start time was the fastest since the 2019 World Championships in Whistler. I even received a medal at the awards ceremony for my fifth place. It was the first time I finished in the top six and got a medal," says the skeleton racer, who is back on the road to success. "I now plan to continue to take part in the North American tour and to now 51 years old. The COSL speed skater, who has already played basketball and American football in his sporting career and has gained experience in triathlon, has been tinkering with his skeleton sled for several years - in pursuit of the last hundredth of a second. Because the President of the Union Luxembourgeoise de Skeleton is the only athlete from the Grand Duchy who practices this high-speed sport at a professional level. And with ambitious goals: The path should lead to the XXV Olympic Winter Games around Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy. A path that was paved with many obstacles. "During the 2022/23 season, I had trained well and achieved some decent results, but I felt increasing pain in my hip with every race," began a long period of suffering for the athlete, who trains in Whistler, Canada. In February 2023, the athlete was finally diagnosed with fourth-degree arthrosis. "It was a moment of incredible sadness for me, because I thought my career was now over."Knowing that he could achieve good results despite the pain, Bauer was drawn back to the ice rink. Until the pain became unbearable and sport was no longer an option. Only a rare operation was supposed to bring about improvement. "I found out about another type of hip replacement, 'hip resurfacing'. This operation is carried out in particular on professional athletes who suffer from hip osteoarthritis and want to return to sport. Andy Murray (tennis), Patrick Kane (ice hockey), Isaiah Thomas (basketball) are examples. This operation accounts for less than one percent of all hip replacement operations because the procedure is more difficult than a conventional hip prosthesis and requires a high degree of precision from the surgeon to ensure the operation is successful. In October 2023 it was my turn.” The operation was successful, but Bauer now began a long phase of full recovery. “One week after the operation with a specialist in Washington, I flew back home to Park City, and my physiotherapy began the next day,” Bauer says, delighted about a personal stroke of luck. “Brett Bousquet, the former physiotherapist for the NBA team Milwaukee Bucks, was assigned to me. Brett has already coached one of the best basketball players in the world, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and has also challenged me very hard from day one.” The hard work has paid off, step by step Bauer has regained his old physical strength and even expanded the support team around him. “I still work with Brett every week, as well as with Robin Pieper, my trainer from Austria, and Monya Maleki, a physiotherapist with a ballet background. With Monya I do once a week, flexibility and hip strength exercises via video conference." Impressive comeback with a medal On November 10, Bauer then set off from Park City to Whistler for a two-week training camp. He finally wanted to know how well he could still do on the ice track. "Whistler is the fastest track in the world, where speeds of up to 140 km/h can be reached. It is also very technical and falls are common in turn six. I was therefore very nervous, but it seemed to me to be the best choice to get my feeling back," said Bauer, who took part in his first competition since the World Championships in St. Moritz and Celerina just two weeks later (November 28 and 29). "It was my first race at the North American Cup. I was so grateful that I could be there, because a year ago at this time I could barely walk. I had two good races. On the first day I finished seventh out of 15 and was very happy with that result, even though my second run wasn't so good. The next day I had two very good runs and finished fifth. In my last run my start time was the fastest since the 2019 World Championships in Whistler. I even received a medal at the awards ceremony for my fifth place. It was the first time I finished in the top six and got a medal," says the skeleton racer, who is back on the road to success. "I now plan to continue to take part in the North American tour and to end the season with a World Cup race in Lillehammer," said Bauer, who finished seventh and eighth in the North American Cup last weekend and, at the age of 52, finally wants to fulfill his dream of playing in his first Olympic Winter Games.

Which Luxembourger has a chance to make the 2026 Olympics? Luxemburger Wort Dec 2024

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…Jeff Bauer, who also had to take a forced break after an operation on his hip, celebrated a remarkable success at the North America Cup in Whistler (CAN) on November 29. “It was my first race since January 2023. For the first time, I made it into the top six drivers (fifth place) and even got a medal for it. I was so proud when Luxembourg was called at the awards ceremony,” said the 51-year-old, who is on the right track.

“Jeff is an engineer and works hard on his sled and the runners,” Conzemius also believes the oldest candidate has a lot to offer. “The quotas are more difficult in skeleton than in alpine skiing. He has to get a place in the top 50 to be able to compete in Italy.” “I’m planning more starts in the North America Cup and want to end my season with a World Cup race in Lillehammer (N),” says Bauer, who has only one goal: to qualify for the Olympics. And why shouldn’t dreams come true even at an advanced age?…

 

North America Competition Park City Tageblatt Dec 2024

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Skeleton: Jeff Bauer overcomes injury.  Despite very poor starting times on Friday, he finished seventh and tenth overall in 2.41 seconds. On Saturday, he finished eighth and fifth overall in 2.09 seconds. This put him just 5/100 behind the young Canadian Josip Brusic, who is now third in this championship, just ahead of the Luxembourg skeleton pioneer. It was painful, but it worked out OK. The strain has time to heal until the next race in a month," said Bauer happily. (ChB) On his home course in Park City, USA, Jeff Bauer started the second race of the North American Championship and pulled his hamstring tendon in the starting sprint of the first run: During the second run I could only jog. The next day the tendon was hard and swollen, but I started anyway. Luckily I know the course well, know how to gain speed there and had also learned to start acceptably despite my injury." The 52-year-old was placed among 20 competitors.