Walter Plaikner

Walter Plaikner (born 24 October 1951) is an Italian former luger and coach who competed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a doubles specialist, and competed alongside Paul Hildgartner. They won the gold medal in the men's doubles event (shared with the East German pairing of Horst Hörnlein and Reinhard Bredow) at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo. Plaikner also competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, where he finished 11th in the doubles after suffering from a severe bout of flu. He retired from competition after the Games.

Born in Kiens, South Tyrol, Plaikner won two medals in the men's doubles events at the FIL World Luge Championships with a gold in 1971 and a bronze in 1973. He and Hildgartner also won two gold medals in the men's doubles event at the FIL European Luge Championships (1971, 1974). Later that year he became head coach of the Russian luge team with a focus on preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. In 2007, Plaikner was appointed Chairman of the Technical Commission for Artificial Track of the International Luge Federation (FIL).