Sixth World Championship title

Twelve years unbeaten! Run of success continues

Gernot Bruckmann won big in Switzerland.

(Bild: zVg)

Sixth title: Gernot Bruckmann from Villach has once again been crowned world champion in model aerobatics. A ski jumping legend brought him to the extraordinary sport . .

Dominance has a name: Gernot Bruckmann! The man from Villach secured the title in the F3P class at the Model Aerobatics Indoor World Championships in Switzerland last weekend. He prevailed against 31 athletes from ten nations. The world championship was held for the first time in 2013 and has been held six times in this category. In the end, Bruckmann always shone from the top step of the podium, making him the best in the world for twelve years. "I focused specifically on this in my preparation. I trained for 30 hours from November to January. The goal was to remain the only world champion in this category," says the 33-year-old happily.

Bruckmann's world championship glider weighs 55 grams.

(Bild: zVg)

Medal collection complete
With silver in the freestyle and bronze in the team competition, Gernot returned home with a complete medal collection. "It was simply brilliant," grins Bruckmann, who has been taking part in competitions for 25 years and is a member of the MFG Feistritz/Gail club. This club is chaired by ski jumping legend Hans Wallner. The 1982 team vice world champion in Oslo is himself the German champion in glider aerobatics and has also won several titles in Austria. "He is good friends with my father. It was through him that I got into competition flying in the first place," says Bruckmann, who makes model airplanes for a living.

100 hours for winning planes
Dad Gerhard founded a model-making company in Villach over 30 years ago, Gernot opened his own business in 2011. "I only work to order. It can take up to 300 hours to make a model, depending on the customer's wishes," explains Bruckmann, who needed around 100 hours to make his World Cup plane.

No WM bonus
An expensive hobby, because he doesn't get rich in this sport. "There's a medal for the world champion, and that's it. But I grew up with it and I still enjoy it!" says the Villach native in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper. And that's why the next big highlight awaits in August. The Motorized Aerobatics Outdoor World Championships in the USA. .