Maria Isser
Encyclopedia
Maria Isser (22 October 1929 - 2011) was an Austria
n luge
r who competed during the early 1950s and early 1960s. She won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with two golds (Women's singles: 1957
, 1960
) and three silvers (Women's singles: 1955
, 1959
; Men's doubles: 1955). Her silver in the men's doubles event in 1955 with her brother Josef
was the first time a woman ever won a medal in a men's event at a World Championships, Winter Olympics, or European Championships until the debut of a mixed team event at both the European and World Championships in the late 1980s. In the 1958
World Championships, the silver and bronze pairs from Poland included one woman each.
At the European championships, Isser won six medals in the women's singles event. This included four straight golds (1952
-1955
), one silver (1956
), and one bronze (1951
).
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 luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
r who competed during the early 1950s and early 1960s. She won five medals at the FIL World Luge Championships with two golds (Women's singles: 1957
FIL World Luge Championships 1957
The FIL World Luge Championships 1957 took place in Davos, Switzerland. It marked the first time the event was held under the auspices of the International Luge Federation which was formed earlier that year...
, 1960
FIL World Luge Championships 1960
The FIL World Luge Championships 1960 took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany. This was an extraordinary event because a luge track was not constructed for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley.-Men's singles:-Women's singles:...
) and three silvers (Women's singles: 1955
FIL World Luge Championships 1955
The FIL World Luge Championships 1955 took place in Oslo, Norway under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing under their "Section de Luge"...
, 1959
FIL World Luge Championships 1959
The FIL World Luge Championships 1959 took place in Villard-de-Lans, France. The men's doubles event was cancelled to poor weather conditions. , it is the only time an event has been entirely cancelled in the history of the World Championships, European Championships, or Winter Olympics.-Men's...
; Men's doubles: 1955). Her silver in the men's doubles event in 1955 with her brother Josef
Josef Isser
Josef "Pepi" Isser is an Austrian luger who competed in the 1950s. He won two medals at the inaugural event at the FIL World Luge Championships in Oslo in 1955 with a silver in the men's doubles and a bronze in the men's singles events...
was the first time a woman ever won a medal in a men's event at a World Championships, Winter Olympics, or European Championships until the debut of a mixed team event at both the European and World Championships in the late 1980s. In the 1958
FIL World Luge Championships 1958
-Men's singles:-Women's singles:-Men's doubles:Strillinger and Nachmann became the first repeat champions at the World Championships.-Medal table:-References:***...
World Championships, the silver and bronze pairs from Poland included one woman each.
At the European championships, Isser won six medals in the women's singles event. This included four straight golds (1952
FIL European Luge Championships 1952
The FIL European Luge Championships 1952 took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing under their "Section de Luge", a trend that would continue until the International Luge Federation was formed in 1957...
-1955
FIL European Luge Championships 1955
The FIL European Luge Championships 1955 took place in Hahnenklee, West Germany under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing under their "Section de Luge", a trend that would continue until the International Luge Federation was formed in 1957.-Men's...
), one silver (1956
FIL European Luge Championships 1956
The FIL European Luge Championships 1956 took place in Imst, Austria under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing under their "Section de Luge"...
), and one bronze (1951
FIL European Luge Championships 1951
The FIL European Luge Championships 1951 took place in Igls, Austria under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing under their "Section de Luge", a trend that would continue until the International Luge Federation was formed in 1957...
).