Lukas BAUER

START OF SPORTING CAREER

• Lukas Bauer began with sports in the Skoda Ostrov Club at the age of
• At the age of 14 he moved to Karlovy Vary
• In junior age he was considering doing MTB racing but after his first podium in Czech Cross-Country Skiing Nationals at the age of seventeen he decided with Cross-Country skiing, but mountain biking is still his hobby and every year he takes part in some races
• Right from the beginning of his career Bauer came to the sport group of coach Miroslav Petrasek, who has been his personal coach until two years ago. Since spring 2011 he has been training under Janko Neuber.

CAREER

• Lukas Bauer took his first podium in the Czech Nationals at the age of seventeen and one year later he became a member of the Junior National Team
• He competed in the Junior World Championships in 1996 in Asiago (17th place over 10km C; 7th place in relay; 37th place over 30km F)
• In Calgary, a year after he took his first international medal, silver in 30km F
• Good results gave him access to the Czech World Championships team for Trondheim 1997.From the JWCH in Calgary he flew directly to his first World Championships in Trondheim.
• His first Olympics were the 1998 Nagano Games
• First World Cup podium was the second place in Kuusamo in 2001 in 5km C.
• Shortly after that he won his first World Cup in Nove Mesto na Morave 2002 over 15km F
• His best season has been 2007/08 when he won the overall World Cup standing as well as the second edition of the FIS Tour de Ski
• In 2010, he won the FIS Tour de Ski again becoming the first man ever make this achievement
• His first Olympic medal came in Torino 2006 where he finished second in 15km C. Four years later in Vancouver he added two bronze medals, over 15 km free technique and in relay
• Bauer had some difficult seasons due to health problems, especially the winters 2007 and 2009, but for both World Championships he was well prepared and finished on the podium with a 5th place over 50 km 2007 and the second place over 15 km classic in Liberec
• In the 2011/12 season Lukas Bauer was forced to end the season earlier as planned due to heel stress fracture. He had 7 weeks a plaster and could walk only with crutches
• Since two season Bauer trains away from the Czech national team. He joins the team only at common training camps

NATIONAL FIRSTS

• First Czech Cross-Country skier to win the Big Crystal globe for the overall World Cup winner (2007/08)
• The first Czech Cross-Country male athlete who won FIS Cross-Country World Cup competitions
• First Czech double FIS Tour de Ski Winner
• Winner of the Czech Skier of the Year Award in 2008

PERSONAL

• Lukas Bauer married his girlfriend Katerina (Balatkova, former national team member and daughter of Olympic medal holder form Sapporo 1972 Helena Sikolova) on July 2003.
• Lukas Bauer has two children – son Matyas (12.4.2004) and daughter Aneta (31.1.2007)
• They live together in Boží Dar near the German border just several kilometers from Rene Sommerfeldt’s residence that is good friend of Lukas Bauer. Their sons went together to a German Kindergarten.

QUICK LINKS

Website: www.lukas-bauer.cz
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lukas_Bauer