Franz Klammer
Encyclopedia
Franz Klammer is a former champion alpine ski racer
. Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975
-78
). He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics
in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel
in dramatic fashion. He won 25 World Cup downhills, including four on the Hahnenkamm
at Kitzbühel
.
. Like many alpine farm boys, he skied at school each winter day. He had a tough struggle to make the Austrian skiing team, dominated by the provinces of Tyrol and Salzburg
. He spent 13 seasons on the World Cup
circuit (1972
–85
).
season, finishing second in the St. Anton downhill behind Bernhard Russi
of Switzerland
, the reigning Olympic
and World Cup
downhill champion. Klammer, age 19, followed this up with a third at St. Moritz
and a third in the giant slalom
at Mont Sainte-Anne. The following season he finished second in the downhill standings behind Roland Collombin
of Switzerland
, his nemesis that season. After beating Collombin at Schladming
under terrible conditions, Collombin bested him at Garmisch
, Avoriaz
, and Wengen
. In December 1974
, Collombin fell at Val-d'Isère, as he had the previous year. This time Collombin broke his back in a training run, unfortunately ending his promising career. Klammer won that race and every other downhill that 1975
season, except Megève
, where his ski came off; without this incident, he would have won the overall title of 1975, due to a good slalom result two days before at Chamonix
, which would have granted him at least a third place (15 points) for the combined of slalom Chamonix / downhill Megève. In the Olympic tune-up run at Patscherkofel
at Innsbruck in January 1975, Klammer had defeated defending Olympic champion
Bernhard Russi
of Switzerland
, the runner-up, by nearly a half-second.
Entering the 1976 Winter Olympics
, the 22 year old Klammer was the favorite to take the gold medal in the downhill at Innsbruck
in his native Austria. He was the defending World Cup downhill champion, and had won the three previous downhills in January at Wengen
, Morzine
, and Kitzbühel
. Starting in the 15th position, Klammer was the last of the top seeds, and knew that Russi
had set a blistering pace on the course at Patscherkofel
, leading by over a half-second. Klammer took heavy risks on the treacherous piste, skied on the edge of disaster, and won by 0.33 seconds to the delight of the Austria
n fans.
Although he dominated the downhill event, the overall World Cup
title remained elusive, because the technical specialists had two events in which to earn points (slalom & giant slalom) whereas a speed specialist had only one. The second speed event, the Super G, was not a World Cup event until December 1982
, at the twilight of Klammer's World Cup career.
At the end of the 1975
season, despite having won 8 of 9 downhills, he finished third for the overall World Cup title; he finished fourth in 1976, third in 1977, and fifth in 1978
Klammer won the World Cup
downhill
title five times: 1975
, 1976
, 1977
, 1978
, and 1983
; twice more than the next best downhiller. In the 1975
season he won 8 of 9 World Cup
downhill
races, including his first of three consecutive victories (1975–77) on the prestigious Streif on the Hahnenkamm
at Kitzbühel
. He won a fourth in 1984
, at the age of 30.
After his fourth consecutive season title in downhill in 1978
, he began a prolonged slump until the end of the 1981
season. He may have been affected by his brother's spinal cord injury in a downhill race, as well as a change of ski supplier (from Fischer to Kneissl
). Unable to make the strong four-member Austrian downhill team for the 1980 Olympics, Klammer could not defend his Olympic title at the 1980 Winter Olympics
in Lake Placid
. Rather than retire, he worked long and hard at a comeback; finally in December 1981
, after another ski change from Kneissl
to Blizzard
, he won at Val-d'Isère. The following season he regained the World Cup Downhill title, his fifth, followed by the 1984
victory at Kitzbuehel, his fourth on the Hahnenkamm. At the 1984 Olympics
in Sarajevo
, (then Yugoslavia
, now Bosnia
), Klammer finished a disappointing tenth on a less-than-challenging course on Bjelašnica. The race was won by the brash Bill Johnson
of the U.S.
(whom he called a "nose picker"), an excellent glider who had recently won his first World Cup race on a shortened course at Wengen
. Johnson had promising training runs and publicly predicted his Olympic victory.
At his peak (Wengen 1976
to Wengen 1977
), Klammer won ten consecutive downhills, including the spectacular, pressure-laden win at the 1976 Olympics. He won 8 of 9 during the 1975
season. He also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills. His career total is 26 downhill wins: 25 World Cup and 1 Olympic. These achievements mark him as arguably the greatest downhill racer ever: Karl Schranz
achieved 20 wins over an extended career while Klammer won 19 in less than three seasons.
In an interview with Austrian television
in 2006, the 52-year-old Klammer was asked about his greatest achievement. He answered that although his gold medal at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck was generally regarded as his greatest career achievement, winning at Kitzbühel
in 1984
meant something very special to him, considering he hadn't won there since 1977.
Klammer was never an elegant downhill skier, his focus was speed and victory. In his descents he appeared at times to be dangerously off balance. In spite, or perhaps because of his unique style of skiing, he was able to consistently dominate a field of gifted competitors.
His final World Cup race was in February 1985
; he retired from international competition at age 31.
Klammer finished with 26 World Cup victories, 45 podiums and 87 top ten finishes (71 downhill, 5 combined
, 11 giant slalom
).
, driving Mercedes-Benz saloons all over Europe and racing professionally as far away as Australia. In 1990 Klammer won a round of the prestigious European Touring Car Championship
.
" and also as the "Klammer Express."
In an interview with Tom Brokaw
that aired on NBC
on February 13, 2010, as part of their 2010 Winter Olympics
coverage, American
Olympian
ski racer Bode Miller
cited Klammer's style and approach to skiing as a major source of inspiration for him.
Klammer has established the Franz Klammer Foundation, which benefits seriously injured athletes.
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
. Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975
1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...
-78
1978 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 12th World Cup season began in December 1977 and concluded in March 1978. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his third consecutive overall title. Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein won the women's overall title....
). He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Innsbruck, Austria, from February 5–13, 1976.Similar to the 1964 games, the men's downhill was held on Patscherkofel , the other five events at Axamer Lizum....
in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel
Patscherkofel
Patscherkofel is a mountain and ski area in Tyrol in western Austria, 7 km south of Innsbruck. The peak rises to a summit elevation of 7639 feet above sea level...
in dramatic fashion. He won 25 World Cup downhills, including four on the Hahnenkamm
Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel
The Hahnenkamm is a mountain in Austria, directly south of Kitzbühel, in the Kitzbühel Alps. The elevation of its summit is above sea level.The Hahnenkamm is part of the ski resort of Kitzbühel, and hosts the annual World Cup alpine ski races, the Hahnenkammrennen...
at Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel
-Demographic evolution:-Personalities:*Karl Wilhelm von Dalla Torre , entomologist and botanist*Alfons Walde , expressionist painter and architect*Peter Aufschnaiter , mountaineer and geographer...
.
Background
Klammer was born into a farming family in Mooswald, CarinthiaCarinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
. Like many alpine farm boys, he skied at school each winter day. He had a tough struggle to make the Austrian skiing team, dominated by the provinces of Tyrol and Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. He spent 13 seasons on the World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
circuit (1972
1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive....
–85
1985 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 19th World Cup season began in December 1984 in Italy and concluded in March 1985 in the United States. The overall champions were Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg and Michela Figini of Switzerland....
).
Career
Klammer first showed signs of promise in the second half of the 1973 World Cup1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive....
season, finishing second in the St. Anton downhill behind Bernhard Russi
Bernhard Russi
Bernhard Russi is a former alpine ski racer. He was an Olympic, World Cup, and World champion in the downhill event....
of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the reigning Olympic
Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Sapporo, Japan, from February 5–13, 1972. The downhills were held at Mount Eniwa, and the four technical events at Teine.-Downhill:February 7, 1972...
and World Cup
1972 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 6th World Cup season began in December 1971 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1972 in France. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his second of three consecutive overall titles...
downhill champion. Klammer, age 19, followed this up with a third at St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
and a third in the giant slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
at Mont Sainte-Anne. The following season he finished second in the downhill standings behind Roland Collombin
Roland Collombin
Roland Collombin is a former champion alpine ski racer, a two-time World Cup downhill champion....
of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, his nemesis that season. After beating Collombin at Schladming
Schladming
Schladming is a small mining town in the Austrian state of Styria, that is now very popular with tourists. It has become a large ski resort and has held various skiing competitions recently. The shopping area has lots of cafes, restaurant and a variety of shops and caters well for tourists.As of...
under terrible conditions, Collombin bested him at Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, Avoriaz
Avoriaz
Avoriaz is a French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. It is located in the territory of the commune of Morzine. It is easily accessible from either Thonon at Lake Geneva or Cluses-junction on the A40 motorway between Geneva and Chamonix...
, and Wengen
Lauberhorn
The Lauberhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, located between Wengen and Grindelwald. Its summit is at an elevation of 8110 feet above sea level....
. In December 1974
1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...
, Collombin fell at Val-d'Isère, as he had the previous year. This time Collombin broke his back in a training run, unfortunately ending his promising career. Klammer won that race and every other downhill that 1975
1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...
season, except Megève
Megève
Megève is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Megève is a famous ski resort near the Mont-Blanc in the French Alps...
, where his ski came off; without this incident, he would have won the overall title of 1975, due to a good slalom result two days before at Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
, which would have granted him at least a third place (15 points) for the combined of slalom Chamonix / downhill Megève. In the Olympic tune-up run at Patscherkofel
Patscherkofel
Patscherkofel is a mountain and ski area in Tyrol in western Austria, 7 km south of Innsbruck. The peak rises to a summit elevation of 7639 feet above sea level...
at Innsbruck in January 1975, Klammer had defeated defending Olympic champion
Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Sapporo, Japan, from February 5–13, 1972. The downhills were held at Mount Eniwa, and the four technical events at Teine.-Downhill:February 7, 1972...
Bernhard Russi
Bernhard Russi
Bernhard Russi is a former alpine ski racer. He was an Olympic, World Cup, and World champion in the downhill event....
of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the runner-up, by nearly a half-second.
Entering the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Innsbruck, Austria, from February 5–13, 1976.Similar to the 1964 games, the men's downhill was held on Patscherkofel , the other five events at Axamer Lizum....
, the 22 year old Klammer was the favorite to take the gold medal in the downhill at Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
in his native Austria. He was the defending World Cup downhill champion, and had won the three previous downhills in January at Wengen
Lauberhorn
The Lauberhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, located between Wengen and Grindelwald. Its summit is at an elevation of 8110 feet above sea level....
, Morzine
Morzine
Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune...
, and Kitzbühel
Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel
The Hahnenkamm is a mountain in Austria, directly south of Kitzbühel, in the Kitzbühel Alps. The elevation of its summit is above sea level.The Hahnenkamm is part of the ski resort of Kitzbühel, and hosts the annual World Cup alpine ski races, the Hahnenkammrennen...
. Starting in the 15th position, Klammer was the last of the top seeds, and knew that Russi
Bernhard Russi
Bernhard Russi is a former alpine ski racer. He was an Olympic, World Cup, and World champion in the downhill event....
had set a blistering pace on the course at Patscherkofel
Patscherkofel
Patscherkofel is a mountain and ski area in Tyrol in western Austria, 7 km south of Innsbruck. The peak rises to a summit elevation of 7639 feet above sea level...
, leading by over a half-second. Klammer took heavy risks on the treacherous piste, skied on the edge of disaster, and won by 0.33 seconds to the delight of the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n fans.
Although he dominated the downhill event, the overall World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
title remained elusive, because the technical specialists had two events in which to earn points (slalom & giant slalom) whereas a speed specialist had only one. The second speed event, the Super G, was not a World Cup event until December 1982
1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title...
, at the twilight of Klammer's World Cup career.
At the end of the 1975
1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...
season, despite having won 8 of 9 downhills, he finished third for the overall World Cup title; he finished fourth in 1976, third in 1977, and fifth in 1978
Klammer won the World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
title five times: 1975
1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...
, 1976
1976 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 10th World Cup season began in December 1975 in France and concluded in March 1976 in Canada. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...
, 1977
1977 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 11th World Cup season began in December 1976 in France and concluded in March 1977 in Spain. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his second of three consecutive overall titles. Lise-Marie Morerod of Switzerland won the women's overall title.-Calendar:...
, 1978
1978 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 12th World Cup season began in December 1977 and concluded in March 1978. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his third consecutive overall title. Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein won the women's overall title....
, and 1983
1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title...
; twice more than the next best downhiller. In the 1975
1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...
season he won 8 of 9 World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
races, including his first of three consecutive victories (1975–77) on the prestigious Streif on the Hahnenkamm
Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel
The Hahnenkamm is a mountain in Austria, directly south of Kitzbühel, in the Kitzbühel Alps. The elevation of its summit is above sea level.The Hahnenkamm is part of the ski resort of Kitzbühel, and hosts the annual World Cup alpine ski races, the Hahnenkammrennen...
at Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel
-Demographic evolution:-Personalities:*Karl Wilhelm von Dalla Torre , entomologist and botanist*Alfons Walde , expressionist painter and architect*Peter Aufschnaiter , mountaineer and geographer...
. He won a fourth in 1984
1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland....
, at the age of 30.
After his fourth consecutive season title in downhill in 1978
1978 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 12th World Cup season began in December 1977 and concluded in March 1978. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his third consecutive overall title. Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein won the women's overall title....
, he began a prolonged slump until the end of the 1981
1981 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 15th World Cup season began in December 1980 in France and concluded in March 1981 in Switzerland. Phil Mahre became the first American to win an overall title, the first of his three consecutive overall titles....
season. He may have been affected by his brother's spinal cord injury in a downhill race, as well as a change of ski supplier (from Fischer to Kneissl
Kneissl
Kneissl is an Austrian manufacturer of hand made skis, biking and tennis equipment and apparel, based in Kufstein in the state of Tyrol and established by Franz Kneissl in 1861. Kneissl was accredited with the invention of “big foot” skis.-External links:...
). Unable to make the strong four-member Austrian downhill team for the 1980 Olympics, Klammer could not defend his Olympic title at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Lake Placid, New York, U.S.A.. The races were held at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington from February 14–23, 1980....
in Lake Placid
Whiteface Mountain
Whiteface Mountain is the fifth-highest mountain in New York State, and one of the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. Set apart from most of the other High Peaks, the summit offers a 360-degree view featuring the Adirondacks and perhaps on a clear day glimpses of Vermont and even Canada. The...
. Rather than retire, he worked long and hard at a comeback; finally in December 1981
1982 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 16th World Cup season began in December 1981 in France and concluded in March 1982, also in France. Phil Mahre of the U.S. repeated as overall champion, the second of his three consecutive titles. Erika Hess of Switzerland won the women's overall title....
, after another ski change from Kneissl
Kneissl
Kneissl is an Austrian manufacturer of hand made skis, biking and tennis equipment and apparel, based in Kufstein in the state of Tyrol and established by Franz Kneissl in 1861. Kneissl was accredited with the invention of “big foot” skis.-External links:...
to Blizzard
Blizzard Sport
Blizzard Sport GmbH is an Austrian alpine ski manufacturer based in Mittersill, Salzburg, Austria.-Alpine racing:Blizzard's presence on the FIS Alpine World Cup circuit is represented by several racers, including Austrian Reinfried Herbst and Japanese racer Akira Sasaki...
, he won at Val-d'Isère. The following season he regained the World Cup Downhill title, his fifth, followed by the 1984
1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland....
victory at Kitzbuehel, his fourth on the Hahnenkamm. At the 1984 Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, (then Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, now Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
), Klammer finished a disappointing tenth on a less-than-challenging course on Bjelašnica. The race was won by the brash Bill Johnson
Bill Johnson (skier)
William Dean "Bill" Johnson is a former alpine ski racer with the U.S. Ski Team. He was the first American male to win an Olympic gold medal in alpine skiing, winning the downhill at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Bill has 2 sons, named Tyler and Nick...
of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(whom he called a "nose picker"), an excellent glider who had recently won his first World Cup race on a shortened course at Wengen
Lauberhorn
The Lauberhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, located between Wengen and Grindelwald. Its summit is at an elevation of 8110 feet above sea level....
. Johnson had promising training runs and publicly predicted his Olympic victory.
At his peak (Wengen 1976
1976 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 10th World Cup season began in December 1975 in France and concluded in March 1976 in Canada. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...
to Wengen 1977
1977 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 11th World Cup season began in December 1976 in France and concluded in March 1977 in Spain. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his second of three consecutive overall titles. Lise-Marie Morerod of Switzerland won the women's overall title.-Calendar:...
), Klammer won ten consecutive downhills, including the spectacular, pressure-laden win at the 1976 Olympics. He won 8 of 9 during the 1975
1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...
season. He also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills. His career total is 26 downhill wins: 25 World Cup and 1 Olympic. These achievements mark him as arguably the greatest downhill racer ever: Karl Schranz
Karl Schranz
Karl Schranz is a former champion alpine ski racer, one of the best in the 1960s.During his lengthy career , Schranz won twenty major downhills, many major giant slalom races and several major slaloms...
achieved 20 wins over an extended career while Klammer won 19 in less than three seasons.
In an interview with Austrian television
ORF
ORF may refer to:* ORF , the Austrian public service broadcaster.* Open reading frame, a portion of the genome.* The IATA airport code for Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Virginia.* ORF format , Olympus raw image file format....
in 2006, the 52-year-old Klammer was asked about his greatest achievement. He answered that although his gold medal at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck was generally regarded as his greatest career achievement, winning at Kitzbühel
Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel
The Hahnenkamm is a mountain in Austria, directly south of Kitzbühel, in the Kitzbühel Alps. The elevation of its summit is above sea level.The Hahnenkamm is part of the ski resort of Kitzbühel, and hosts the annual World Cup alpine ski races, the Hahnenkammrennen...
in 1984
1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland....
meant something very special to him, considering he hadn't won there since 1977.
Klammer was never an elegant downhill skier, his focus was speed and victory. In his descents he appeared at times to be dangerously off balance. In spite, or perhaps because of his unique style of skiing, he was able to consistently dominate a field of gifted competitors.
His final World Cup race was in February 1985
1985 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 19th World Cup season began in December 1984 in Italy and concluded in March 1985 in the United States. The overall champions were Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg and Michela Figini of Switzerland....
; he retired from international competition at age 31.
Klammer finished with 26 World Cup victories, 45 podiums and 87 top ten finishes (71 downhill, 5 combined
Alpine skiing combined
Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
, 11 giant slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
).
Motor racing
Immediately after his retirement from alpine competition, Klammer took up motor racing, and was soon involved in touring car racingTouring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
, driving Mercedes-Benz saloons all over Europe and racing professionally as far away as Australia. In 1990 Klammer won a round of the prestigious European Touring Car Championship
European Touring Car Championship
The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004...
.
Legacy
Franz Klammer was a hero to Austrian ski racing fans and also to fans the world over for doing a great deal to promote the popularity of alpine ski racing. He is known as "The KaiserKaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
" and also as the "Klammer Express."
In an interview with Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on February 13, 2010, as part of their 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
coverage, American
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
ski racer Bode Miller
Bode Miller
Samuel Bode Miller is an American alpine ski racer. He is an Olympic and World Championship gold medalist, a two-time overall World Cup champion in 2005 and 2008, and is generally considered the greatest American alpine skier of all time...
cited Klammer's style and approach to skiing as a major source of inspiration for him.
Klammer has established the Franz Klammer Foundation, which benefits seriously injured athletes.
Overall
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 1975 1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons... |
Downhill |
| 1976 1976 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 10th World Cup season began in December 1975 in France and concluded in March 1976 in Canada. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won the first of his three consecutive overall titles... |
Downhill |
| 1977 1977 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 11th World Cup season began in December 1976 in France and concluded in March 1977 in Spain. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his second of three consecutive overall titles. Lise-Marie Morerod of Switzerland won the women's overall title.-Calendar:... |
Downhill |
| 1978 1978 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 12th World Cup season began in December 1977 and concluded in March 1978. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his third consecutive overall title. Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein won the women's overall title.... |
Downhill |
| 1983 1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title... |
Downhill |
Individual races
26 race victories: 25 downhill, 1 combinedAlpine skiing combined
Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
| Season | Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 1974 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 8th World Cup season began in December 1973 and concluded in March 1974. Piero Gros of Italy won the overall title, denying the runner-up, countryman Gustav Thöni, of a fourth straight overall title. Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fourth of five consecutive.The... |
22 Dec 1973 |  SchladmingSchladming Schladming is a small mining town in the Austrian state of Styria, that is now very popular with tourists. It has become a large ski resort and has held various skiing competitions recently. The shopping area has lots of cafes, restaurant and a variety of shops and caters well for tourists.As of... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
Downhill |
 1974 World ChampionshipsFIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974 The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974 were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from February 3-10, 1974.St. Moritz would host the event again in 2003, and hosted the 1948 Winter Olympics and the 1928 Winter Olympics .-External links:... |
|||
| 1975 1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons... |
08 Dec 1974 |  Val-d'Isère, FranceFrance The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Downhill |
| 15 Dec 1974 | St. Moritz St. Moritz St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
Downhill | |
| 05 Jan 1975 |  GarmischGarmisch Classic Garmisch Classic is an alpine ski resort in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany. The resort is in the Bavarian Alps, and its maximum elevation is 6726 feet above sea level, with a vertical drop of 4429 feet... , West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... |
Downhill | |
| 11 Jan 1975 | Wengen Lauberhorn The Lauberhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, located between Wengen and Grindelwald. Its summit is at an elevation of 8110 feet above sea level.... , Switzerland |
Downhill | |
| 18 Jan 1975 | Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel The Hahnenkamm is a mountain in Austria, directly south of Kitzbühel, in the Kitzbühel Alps. The elevation of its summit is above sea level.The Hahnenkamm is part of the ski resort of Kitzbühel, and hosts the annual World Cup alpine ski races, the Hahnenkammrennen... , Austria |
Downhill | |
| 26 Jan 1975 | Innsbruck Patscherkofel Patscherkofel is a mountain and ski area in Tyrol in western Austria, 7 km south of Innsbruck. The peak rises to a summit elevation of 7639 feet above sea level... , Austria |
Downhill | |
| 09 Mar 1975 |  Jackson HoleJackson Hole Mountain Resort The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a ski resort at Teton Village, Wyoming. Located northwest of Jackson and due south of Grand Teton National Park in Teton County, it is named after the historically significant Jackson Hole valley. The region is served by the Jackson Hole Airport.-Ski area... , USA |
Downhill | |
| 21 Mar 1975 |  Val Gardena, ItalyItaly Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Downhill | |
| 1976 1976 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 10th World Cup season began in December 1975 in France and concluded in March 1976 in Canada. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won the first of his three consecutive overall titles... |
12 Dec 1975 | Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m... , Italy |
Downhill |
| 10 Jan 1976 | Wengen, Switzerland |
Downhill | |
| 11 Jan 1976 | Combined Alpine skiing combined Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:... |
||
| 17 Jan 1976 | Morzine Morzine Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune... , France |
Downhill | |
| 25 Jan 1976 | Kitzbühel, Austria |
Downhill | |
| 1976 Winter Olympics Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Innsbruck, Austria, from February 5–13, 1976.Similar to the 1964 games, the men's downhill was held on Patscherkofel , the other five events at Axamer Lizum.... |
|||
| 12 Mar 1976 | Aspen Aspen Mountain (ski area) Aspen Mountain is a ski area located in Pitkin County, Colorado, just outside and above the city of Aspen. It is situated on the north flank of Aspen Mountain and the higher Bell Mountain at an elevation of 11,212 ft just to the south of Aspen Mountain... , USA |
Downhill | |
| 1977 1977 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 11th World Cup season began in December 1976 in France and concluded in March 1977 in Spain. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his second of three consecutive overall titles. Lise-Marie Morerod of Switzerland won the women's overall title.-Calendar:... |
17 Dec 1976 | Val Gardena, Italy |
Downhill |
| 18 Dec 1976 | Downhill | ||
| 08 Jan 1977 | Garmisch, West Germany |
Downhill | |
| 15 Jan 1977 | Kitzbühel, Austria |
Downhill | |
| 22 Jan 1977 | Wengen, Switzerland |
Downhill | |
| 18 Feb 1977 | Laax Laax Laax is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Laax has an area, , of . Of this area, 35.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.6% is forested... , Switzerland |
Downhill | |
| 1978 1978 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 12th World Cup season began in December 1977 and concluded in March 1978. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his third consecutive overall title. Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein won the women's overall title.... |
11 Dec 1977 | Val-d'Isère, France |
Downhill |
| 11 Mar 1978 | Laax, Switzerland |
Downhill | |
| 1982 1982 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 16th World Cup season began in December 1981 in France and concluded in March 1982, also in France. Phil Mahre of the U.S. repeated as overall champion, the second of his three consecutive titles. Erika Hess of Switzerland won the women's overall title.... |
06 Dec 1981 | Val-d'Isère, France |
Downhill |
| 1983 1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title... |
20 Dec 1982 | Val Gardena, Italy |
Downhill |
| 1984 1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland.... |
21 Jan 1984 | Kitzbühel, Austria |
Downhill |
External links
- International Who's Who - Franz Klammer - accessed 2006-09-04.
- Sports Illustrated - cover - 16-Feb-1976 - Franz Klammer - 1976 Winter Olympics
- On Came The Heroes - by William Oscar Johnson
- Sports Illustrated - 21-Feb-2003 - Franz Klammer
- YouTube video - Olympics - 05-Feb-1976
- Full 1976 Olympic Run
- YouTube video - Kitzbühel - 21-Jan-1984
- Books with references and insights into Franz Klammer's career:
- "White Circus" by Ken Read/Matthew Fisher
- "On the Edge" by Currie Chapman/Randy Starkman