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Franz klammer5/20/2023 ![]() This was the man standing between Klammer had his Gold Medal. He would win 31 downhills in World Cup competition. Russi had won the 1972 Olympic Gold Medal in Sapporo, Japan. The Swiss rival, Phillippe Roux stood third at 1:46:69, Italy’s Herbert Plank second at 1:46:59, and the magnificent Swiss, Bernhard Russi first at 1:46:06. When Klammer’s time at the starting gate came he knew exactly what needed to be done. ![]() “The risk was too great and the snow was wrong.” Klammer said. In the end Klammer decided to use his old skis. He would be the last of the real contenders to go off, an advantage in that he would know what time was needed, but a disadvantage because of the damage done to the course by the first 14 skiers. The pressure intensified again when Klammer drew the 15 th spot for his Olympic run. Two days before his big race the makers of his skis, Fischer, wanted him to use their new design. He was the overwhelming favorite for Gold with the home crowd there to watch. The pressure on the young farm boy from Mooswald was immense. Nobody had ever had a string of victories like that. He won 4 more times in 1976 leading up to the Olympics. In 1975 he had dominated the event in a fashion never seen before by winning 8 out of the nine downhill races of the season. In 19 he was the best downhill skier in the world. The Austrian nation would accept nothing short of a Gold as they hosted the World.Įnter 22-year old Franz Klammer. The downhill was to be run down the face of Patscherkofel, one of the premier downhill tracks in the world. In the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, the stakes rose. Here the Austrians and Swiss pit their best. Every 4 years at the Winter Olympics, the premier event is the men’s downhill. The two nations ski teams are two of the fiercest rivals in the sporting world. Several positions in the business world of Vienna, where he lives today.In skiing, it’s the Swiss Alps and the Austrian Alps that define the sport. His experience in the skiing industry helped him to take Present figure in Austria′s high society. United Nations, does - still - a lot of advertising that finances his passion for playing golf and is a very He continued to ski occasionally, is active in the organisation of the Olympic Games and the World Sports Award in Monte Carlo. One year later, in 1985, Klammer retired from skiing and started a short, but fairly successful career as aĬar racing driver. Olympic Games of 1984 in Sarajewo, but did not do very well. Even formula-1 legend Nicki Lauda publicly announced that he had cried tears of joy after the victory. Aįinal comeback eventually worked at Val d′Isere, where Franz Klammer Struggle became the dominating issue in Austria′s media coverage of ski sporting events and there was wide solidarity. In 1979, he got married - professionally, however, troublesome times started.įor several years, Franz Klammer tried to go back into his original shape, but failed to continue his career at the same pace as he had in the 1970ies. A total of 26 victories in World Cup races, of which 25 were in downhill competitions and eight downhill victories in the World Cup series of 1974/75 alone created a legend. Most successful downhill skier in history. In the following years, Franz Klammer did not only become a national icon to Austria, but also the His brother had a skiing accident and is paralysed every since - the reason why Franz Klammer chairs aĬharity foundation that supports young sportspeople that suffer from injuries. Innsbruck (which were started with Klammer carrying the flag of Austria at the opening ceremony), he won the downhill competition. Karl Kahr specifically on the discipline of downhill skiing. In the years before, he had been trained vigorously by In 1974, he became second in the World Championship. He did not start to ski seriously until he was 14, but once he did, his talent soon became obvious. As a child, he used to hike up the local hills to ski. Skiers gave cause to cheer like nobody since the last Emperor had done and thus, he was nicknamed Emperor -īorn in 1953, he grew up in a humble environment in aĬarinthian village called Mooswald, rather far from skiing areas. A long time after the Empire had ended, one of Austria′s most popular When the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation ended under the pressure of Napoleonic France in 1804, Emperor Franz II resigned and started his own,Īustrian Empire as Franz I.
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