Marko Baacke
Born: 10.02.1980
Marko Baacke
CURRENT
Career end in 2004, due to a training fall in 2001 in Finland. I was still active in the WC until the 2003/2004 season. My competitive sports career was short, but through ups and downs during this time I was able to gain a lot of life experience. From 2005 to 2019 coach Nordic combined Thuringia/Oberhof, DSV youth. From 2019 sports instructor rehabilitation M&I Fachklinik Bad Liebenstein. (Status 10/2020).
Greatest successes
2001 World Championship gold in sprint, Lahti
2000 2 x Junior World Championship Silver, Štrbské Pleso
2011 Gold Summer Grand Prix, Stams
2000/01 - WC, Steamboat Springs 2nd place, Oslo 3rd place, Kuopio 3rd place
2000/01 - Overall 5th place Sprint WC
Family
Family is the most important thing in life for me. The centre around which everything revolves. As an athlete, in competitive sport, I had little time for it, but now it has changed.
Your Oberhof
Oberhof is an essential part of my sporting life and my sporting success. "My Mecca and beacon of the Thuringian winter sports". 25 years, 1/4 century - part of my life
What was your sporting career like?
Talented young athlete from TLZ Ruhla. Regionally successful. From Oberhof sports high school, junior national teams D/C, C - squad. First national and international successes.
1995/1997 German Junior Champion
1998/1999 German Junior Champion
German Championship Men 2 x 3rd place 2000.
From 1997 B-World Cup Nordic Combined.
1999 first podium in Garmisch Partenkirchen.
From 2000 World Cup Nordic Combined, first points in Schonach.
2000 Štrbské Pleso 2-time Vice World Champion Nordic Combined in sprint and individual.
2000 Victory in the A-WC Summer Grand Prix in Stams/AUT.
Successful season 2000/2001 Podium finishes in Oslo, Steamboat Springs, Kuopio and several times top ten.
7th place overall World Cup 2000/01
5th place Sprint World Cup 2000/01
World Champion 2001 NK/Sprint Lahti.
2001 heavy crash in Kuusamo/FIN
2001/02 no season
2002/2003 comeback season, places in the midfield.
World Cup 2003 Val die Fiemme place 23
2004 career end (consequences of the fall in 2001)
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marko_Baacke
Who are your role models?
At that time Bjarte Engen Vik, Sampa Lajunen, Felix Gottwald and Ronny Ackermann.
What was the most emotional moment of your sporting career?
The finish and the award ceremony at the World Championships Lahti Sprint 2001, together with S.Lajunen/FIN and R.Ackermann/GER.
What was the biggest sporting disappointment for you?
I was always very emotional and extremely disappointed about sporting failures or bad performances, that motivated me extremely to change this. There are no single events that are in my mind, but only the ambitious will to change something, to do it better. My fall was certainly bad luck and a failure for my sporting development at that time, but in retrospect it was an important life experience.
In a short time I was able to experience the highs and lows of competitive sport.
What are your goals for the future?
That winter sports in Thuringia can continue to exist successfully. That the organs of Thuringian sport work together to continue to optimally promote and support winter sports talent in Thuringia. That Thuringia with the Mecca Oberhof remains an important flagship of German and international winter sports. Personally: there is also a life after competitive sport, living it with fulfilment, joy and satisfaction. Nevertheless, once a winter sportsman, always a winter sportsman.
...because Oberhof is the beacon of Thuringian winter sports for the whole world. Perfect structures and conditions for competitive sports, popular sports and tourism. Almost unique in this world.
