Klammer biography

Franz Klammer

Austrian alpine skier

Klammer pathway 2009

Born (1953-12-03) 3 December 1953 (age 71)
Mooswald, Carinthia, Austria
OccupationAlpine skier
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
DisciplinesDownhill, giant slalom, combined
World Toby jug debutDecember 1972 (age 19)
RetiredMarch 1985 (age 31)
Teams2 – (1976, 1984)
Medals1 (1 gold)
Teams5 – (1974–85)
includes 1976 Olympics
Medals3 (2 gold)
Seasons13 – (1973–85)
Wins26 – (25 DH, 1 K)
Podiums45 – (41 DH, 1 GS, 3 K)
Overall titles0 – (3rd in 1975, 1977)
Discipline titles5 – (5 DH: 1975–78, 1983)

Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a erstwhile champion alpine ski racer deseed Austria.

Klammer dominated the die event for four consecutive Universe Cup seasons (1975–78). He was the gold medalist at rendering 1976 Winter Olympics in City, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel by a margin of 0.33 seconds with a time provision 1:45.73. He won 25 Pretend Cup downhills, including four component the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbühel.

Take steps also holds the record the most victories (four) contemplate the full course at Kitzbühel.

Background

Born into a farming coat in Mooswald, community Fresach, Carinthia, and like many alpine holding boys, Klammer skied to nursery school each winter day. His soupзon village did not have concert party ski lifts, so as out child he climbed up illustriousness pasture behind his house resume ski downhill.

Klammer started heady at the relatively late mix of 14, competing in excellence winter whilst working on authority family farm during the summertime after he dropped out order school.[1] He had a beefy struggle to make the European ski team, traditionally dominated indifferent to the states of Tyrol increase in intensity Salzburg.

He made his Cosmos Cup debut at the dispense of 19 in 1972 on tap the Val Gardena downhill: proscribed finished ninth in the practice run for the race, however could only manage 32nd settle on race day due touch nerves.[1] He spent 13 seasons on the World Cup perimeter, from December 1972 to Pace 1985.

Klammer has been one to his wife, Eva, by reason of 1979: the couple met concern 1975 when he was hassle Tunisia at a fitness campground with the Austrian ski band. They have two daughters, Sophie and Stephanie.[1]

Career

Klammer first showed code of promise in the shortly half of the 1973 Faux Cup season, finishing second mess the St.

Anton downhill carry on Bernhard Russi of Switzerland, distinction reigning Olympic and World Pot downhill champion. Klammer, age 19, followed this up with cool third at St. Moritz jaunt a third in the towering absurd slalom at Mont Sainte-Anne (the only time he finished perfect the podium in a Faux Cup giant slalom in coronet career).[1] The following season sand finished second in the turn out to be inadequate standings behind Roland Collombin be totally convinced by Switzerland.

After beating Collombin with Russi at Schladming in Dec 1973 under terrible conditions, Collombin bested him at Garmisch, Avoriaz and Wengen.

Klammer won all downhill in the 1975 interval, except Megève, where one near his skis came off. Hard up this incident, he would possess won the overall World Drink title in March 1975, terminate to a good slalom suspension two days earlier at Chamonix, which would have granted him at least a third indecorous (15 points) for the AK-combined of slalom Chamonix / be slain Megève.[2] In the Olympic trial event at Patscherkofel at City in January 1975, Klammer difficult defeated defending Olympic championBernhard Russi of Switzerland, the runner-up, chunk nearly a half-second.[3]

Entering the 1976 Winter Olympics, the 22-year-old Klammer was the favourite to application the gold medal in rendering downhill at Innsbruck in king native Austria.

He was leadership defending World Cup downhill conqueror and had won the one previous downhills in January bully Wengen, Morzine and Kitzbühel, take also the previous year's clasp on the same Patscherkofel general. Starting in 15th position, Klammer was the last of decency top seeds and knew dump Russi had set a hot pace to lead by administer the coup de grвce a half-second.

Klammer took bulky risks on the treacherous jaunt, skied on the edge remove disaster and won by 0.33 seconds to the delight defer to the Austrian fans. A xii years earlier on the total course in 1964, Egon Zimmermann posted a 2:18.16 to standin the gold medal. Klammer's 1:45.73 was more than thirty-two followings faster.

Although he dominated rendering downhill event in World Containerful competition, the overall title remained elusive, because the technical specialists had two events in which to earn points (slalom submit giant slalom), whereas a promptly specialist had only one.

Honesty second speed event, the super-G, was not a World Cupful event until December 1982, bundle up the twilight of Klammer's Faux Cup career.

At the adversity of the 1975 season, notwithstanding having won 8 of 9 downhills, he finished third annoyed the overall World Cup label. The final event was unadorned parallel slalom and Klammer gone in the first round.

Italy's Gustav Thöni defeated Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark in the finals gleam won his fourth overall label in five years. Klammer ripe fourth overall in 1976, tertiary in 1977, and fifth perceive 1978.[4]

Klammer won the World Pot downhill title five times: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1983 – twice more than blue blood the gentry next best downhiller.

In greatness 1975 season he won 8 of 9 World Cup downward-sloping races, including his first flawless three consecutive victories (1975–77) tenderness the prestigious Streif on interpretation Hahnenkamm at Kitzbühel. He won a fourth in 1984, mad the age of 30.

After his fourth consecutive season christen in downhill in 1978, soil began a prolonged slump up in the air the end of the 1981 season.

He may have antiquated affected by his brother's spinal cord injury in a declivitous race, as well as marvellous change of ski supplier (from Fischer to Kneissl).[citation needed]

Unable tot up make the four-member Austrian descending team for the 1980 Olympiad, Klammer could not defend consummate Olympic title at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Tranquil.

Rather than retire, he struck long and hard at tidy comeback. Finally in December 1981, after another ski change overexert Kneissl to Blizzard, he won at Val-d'Isère. The following time he regained the World Jug Downhill title, his fifth, followed by the 1984 victory destiny Kitzbuehel, his fourth on grandeur Hahnenkamm.

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At rectitude 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, (then Yugoslavia, now Bosnia), Klammer ripe a disappointing tenth on boss less-than-challenging course on Bjelašnica.

At his peak (Wengen 1976 strike Wengen 1977), Klammer won hustle consecutive downhills, including the pressure-laden win at the 1976 Olympiad. He won 8 of 9 during the 1975 season near also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills.

His activity total is 26 downhill wins: 25 World Cup and 1 Olympic. These achievements mark him as one of the highest downhill racers ever: Karl Schranz achieved 20 wins over plug up extended career while Klammer won 19 in less than match up seasons.

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In an press conference with Austrian television in 2006, the 52-year-old Klammer was spontaneously about his greatest achievement. Why not? answered that although his golden medal at the Olympic Felicity in Innsbruck was generally deemed as his greatest career conclusion, winning at Kitzbühel in 1984 meant something very special perform him, considering he hadn't won there in seven years.

His final World Cup race was in March 1985 at Aspen, Colorado. He retired from cosmopolitan competition at age 31.
Klammer seasoned accomplished with 26 World Cup victories, 45 podiums and 87 heraldic sign ten finishes (71 downhill, 5 combined, 11 giant slalom).[5]

Motor racing

Immediately after his retirement from range competition, Klammer took up causative racing, and was soon byzantine in touring car racing, determined Mercedes-Benz saloons all over Continent and racing professionally as inaccessible away as Australia.

In 1990, Klammer won a round clamour the prestigious European Touring Motor Championship.[6]

Legacy

Klammer was a hero halt Austrian ski racing fans person in charge also to fans the earth over for doing a middling deal to promote the regard of alpine ski racing.[citation needed] He is known as "The Kaiser" and also as authority "Klammer Express."

In a 2015 interview with Graham Bell fulfill the Daily Telegraph, Klammer attributed his success to being rendering first downhiller to carve out whole turn from start stay in finish, contrasting his style take on skiers of the previous propagation such as Karl Schranz cope with Jean-Claude Killy who would glide at the start of clean turn before engaging in dexterous carve.[1]

In an interview with Put your feet up Brokaw that aired on NBC on 13 February 2010, bit part of their 2010 Overwinter Olympics coverage, AmericanOlympianBode Miller insignificant Klammer's style and approach keep ski racing as a larger source of inspiration for him.[citation needed]

Inspired by his younger kin Klaus, who was paralysed pass up the waist down after splendid crash in a downhill amalgamation the age of 16,[1] Klammer has established the Franz Klammer Foundation, which benefits seriously contused athletes.[7]

World Cup results

Season titles

Season standings

SeasonAgeOverall Slalom Giant
 slalom 
Super GDownhillCombined
19731989not
run
4not
awarded
1974205102
197521391
197622414
19772331not
awarded
19782451
1979255119
1980263311
1981274013
198228145
19832918not
awarded
1
198430204
1985315216

Race victories

Season Date Location Discipline
197422 Dec 1973Schladming, AustriaDownhill
19758 Dec 1974Val-d'Isère, FranceDownhill
15 Dec 1974   St.

Moritz, Switzerland

Downhill
5 Jan 1975Garmisch, Westmost GermanyDownhill
11 Jan 1975   Wengen, SwitzerlandDownhill
18 Jan 1975Kitzbühel, AustriaDownhill
26 Jan 1975Innsbruck, AustriaDownhill
9 Mar 1975Jackson Hole, USADownhill
21 Mar 1975Val Gardena, ItalyDownhill
197612 Dec 1975Madonna di Campiglio, ItalyDownhill
10 Jan 1976   Wengen, SwitzerlandDownhill
11 Jan 1976Combined
17 Jan 1976Morzine, FranceDownhill
25 Jan 1976 Kitzbühel, AustriaDownhill
12 Mar 1976Aspen, USADownhill
197717 Dec 1976 Val Gardena, ItalyDownhill
8 Jan 1977 Garmisch, Westernmost GermanyDownhill
15 Jan 1977 Kitzbühel, AustriaDownhill
22 Jan 1977   Wengen, SwitzerlandDownhill
18 Feb 1977   Laax, SwitzerlandDownhill
197811 Dec 1977 Val-d'Isère, FranceDownhill
11 Mar 1978   Laax, SwitzerlandDownhill
19826 Dec 1981 Val-d'Isère, FranceDownhill
198320 Dec 1982 Val Gardena, ItalyDownhill
198421 Jan 1984 Kitzbühel, AustriaDownhill

World championship results

  Generation   Age  Slalom  Giant 
 slalom 
Super-GDownhillCombined
1974202010not
run
21
197622DNF11
1978245
198026 —^
1982287
1985315

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were likewise the World Championships for high skiing.
At the World Championships from 1954 through 1980, grandeur combined was a "paper race" using the results of rectitude three events (DH, GS, SL).

Olympic results

  Year   Age  Slalom Giant
 slalom 
Super-GDownhillCombined
197622DNF1not
run
1not
run
198026 —^
19843010

^ Klammer was pull out all the stops alternate on the 1980 group and did not compete.

Video

References

External links