Maria Riesch
Encyclopedia
Maria Höfl-Riesch is a champion alpine ski racer
. She won gold medals in slalom
and super combined
at the 2010 Winter Olympics
and won the World Cup overall title in 2011
.
At a height of 1.80 m (5'11"), she is one of the tallest women on the World Cup circuit.
, Bavaria
, Germany. A prodigious talent as a junior in 2001 and 2003, Riesch won seven medals in all of the disciplines at the Junior World Championships, including three gold medals in combined and super giant slalom.
As the racing careers of Martina Ertl-Renz and Hilde Gerg
concluded, Riesch rose as the leading female racer on the German national team. Injuries cut short her seasons in 2005
and 2006
, causing her to miss the 2005 World Championships and the 2006 Winter Olympics
.
During the 2009
season, she won four slalom
events on the World Cup tour and won the gold medal in the slalom at the 2009 World Championships. Prior to 2009, her most successful season was in 2004
, when she finished third in the overall World Cup standings, with three race victories. She also finished third in the overall standings in 2008
. In the 2007
season she won her second Downhill race, at Lake Louise
, Canada
.
Riesch won two gold medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics, in the super combined and slalom.
After finishing second in the overall World Cup standings in 2009 and 2010, Riesch won the overall title in 2011, besting three-time defending champion Lindsey Vonn by just three points.
player and a cyclist. Her younger sister, Susanne Riesch
, is also a World Cup ski racer, specializing in the slalom.
One of her former closest friends (and major rival) on the World Cup tour is Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. During competition in Europe, Vonn and her husband traditionally spend Christmas Eve at the Riesch family home in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
.
She married her manager Marcus Höfl on 14 April 2011.
, 1 Combined
, 2 Slalom
)
(7 Downhill, 3 Super G
, 7 Slalom
, 3 Combined
)
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...
. She won gold medals in slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
and super 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:...
at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The ten events were scheduled for February 13–27, 2010; weather delayed the first event, the men's downhill, two days until Monday, February 15....
and won the World Cup overall title in 2011
2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 45th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season began on 23 October 2010, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 20 March 2011, at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.Being an odd-numbered year, the biennial World Championships took place in February...
.
At a height of 1.80 m (5'11"), she is one of the tallest women on the World Cup circuit.
Career
Maria Riesch was born on November 24, 1984, in Garmisch-PartenkirchenGarmisch-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...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany. A prodigious talent as a junior in 2001 and 2003, Riesch won seven medals in all of the disciplines at the Junior World Championships, including three gold medals in combined and super giant slalom.
As the racing careers of Martina Ertl-Renz and Hilde Gerg
Hilde Gerg
Mathilde Gerg is a German former alpine skier.She was Olympic Champion at on several medals at 1998 Winter Olympics; at the World Championships she was bronze medallist in Combined and Super-G at Sestriere 1997, Bronze medallist in Super-G at St...
concluded, Riesch rose as the leading female racer on the German national team. Injuries cut short her seasons in 2005
2005 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 39th World Cup season began in October 2004 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2005 at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The overall winners were Bode Miller of the U.S. and Anja Pärson of Sweden....
and 2006
2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 40th World Cup season began in October 2005 and concluded at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden, in March 2006. The schedule included a nearly month-long break in February for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy....
, causing her to miss the 2005 World Championships and the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...
.
During the 2009
2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December...
season, she won four slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
events on the World Cup tour and won the gold medal in the slalom at the 2009 World Championships. Prior to 2009, her most successful season was in 2004
2004 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 38th World Cup season began in October 2003 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded at the World Cup finals in Sestriere, Italy, in March 2004. Sestriere would host the alpine skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics....
, when she finished third in the overall World Cup standings, with three race victories. She also finished third in the overall standings in 2008
2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
. In the 2007
2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the...
season she won her second Downhill race, at Lake Louise
Lake Louise Mountain Resort
The Lake Louise Ski Area is a ski resort located in Banff National Park, near the village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It can be reached from Banff, from where it is a 35 to 45 minute drive west on Trans-Canada Highway, or Calgary, a 2-hour drive...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Riesch won two gold medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics, in the super combined and slalom.
After finishing second in the overall World Cup standings in 2009 and 2010, Riesch won the overall title in 2011, besting three-time defending champion Lindsey Vonn by just three points.
Personal
Riesch is also a nationally-ranked tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player and a cyclist. Her younger sister, Susanne Riesch
Susanne Riesch
Susanne Riesch is an alpine ski racer. She is the sister of Maria Riesch, overall World Cup Champion for seasson 2010/2011....
, is also a World Cup ski racer, specializing in the slalom.
One of her former closest friends (and major rival) on the World Cup tour is Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. During competition in Europe, Vonn and her husband traditionally spend Christmas Eve at the Riesch family home in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
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...
.
She married her manager Marcus Höfl on 14 April 2011.
Season titles
5 titles (1 Overall, 1 Super GSuper Giant Slalom skiing
The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:...
, 1 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:...
, 2 Slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
)
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 2008 2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy.... |
Super G Super Giant Slalom skiing The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:... |
| 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:... |
|
| 2009 2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December... |
Slalom Slalom skiing Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :... |
| 2010 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany.... |
Slalom |
| 2011 2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 45th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season began on 23 October 2010, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 20 March 2011, at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.Being an odd-numbered year, the biennial World Championships took place in February... |
Overall |
Race victories
20 race victories(7 Downhill, 3 Super G
Super Giant Slalom skiing
The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:...
, 7 Slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
, 3 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:...
)
| Season | Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 38th World Cup season began in October 2003 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded at the World Cup finals in Sestriere, Italy, in March 2004. Sestriere would host the alpine skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics.... 3 victories (1 DH, 1 SG, 1 SL) |
30 Jan 2004 |  Haus im EnnstalHaus im Ennstal Haus im Ennstal is an Austrian village, located in the Liezen district of Styria. As of 2001 it has a population of 2,526 in an area of 8.177 km². The town is an important town on the Enns river.... , 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 |
| 01 Feb 2004 | Super G Super Giant Slalom skiing The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:... |
||
| 29 Feb 2004 |  LeviLevi, Finland Levi, located in Finnish Lapland, is the largest ski resort in Finland. The resort is located in Kittilä municipality and is served by Kittilä Airport and Kolari train station. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is located approximately north of the Arctic Circle.The Levi fell is at an elevation of... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Slalom Slalom skiing Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :... |
|
| 2007 2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the... |
01 Dec 2006 |  Lake Louise, CanadaCanada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
Downhill |
| 2008 2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy.... 2 victories (1 SG, 1 SC) |
21 Jan 2008 |  Cortina d'AmpezzoCortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene... , Italy Italy 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... |
Super-G |
| 24 Feb 2008 | Whistler, Canada |
Super 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:... |
|
| 2009 2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December... 5 victories (4 SL, 1 SC) |
14 Dec 2008 |  La MolinaLa Molina La Molina is a district of the Lima Province in Peru, and one of the upscale districts that comprise the city of Lima.Officially established as a district on February 6, 1962, the current mayor of La Molina is Juan Carlos Zurek. The district's postal code is 12.-Geography:The district has a total... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Slalom |
| 29 Dec 2008 | Semmering Semmering For the town of the same name, see Semmering, Austria.Semmering is a mountain pass in the Eastern Northern Limestone Alps connecting Lower Austria and Styria, between which it forms a natural border.-Location:... , Austria |
Slalom | |
| 04 Jan 2009 |  ZagrebZagreb Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city... , Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... |
Slalom | |
| 11 Jan 2009 |  MariborMaribor Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor.... , Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of... |
Slalom | |
| 20 Feb 2009 2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December... |
Tarvisio Tarvisio Tarvisio is a town in the Province of Udine, in the northeastern part of the autonomous Friuli–Venezia Giulia region in Italy... , Italy |
Super Combined | |
| 2010 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany.... 3 victories (1 SL, 2 DH) |
14 Nov 2009 | Levi, Finland |
Slalom |
| 30 Jan 2010 |  St. MoritzSt. 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 | |
| 10 Mar 2010 |  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... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Downhill | |
| 2011 2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 45th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season began on 23 October 2010, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 20 March 2011, at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.Being an odd-numbered year, the biennial World Championships took place in February... 7 victories (3 DH, 1 SL, 1 SC, 1 SG, 1 NTE) |
03 Dec 2010 2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 45th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season began on 23 October 2010, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 20 March 2011, at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.Being an odd-numbered year, the biennial World Championships took place in February... |
Lake Louise, Canada |
Downhill |
| 04 Dec 2010 | Downhill | ||
| 11 Jan 2011 | Flachau Flachau Flachau is a village in the district of St. Johann im Pongau in the Salzburg state, Austria, with a population of 2,639 . Its numerous skiing facilities are part of the Ski Amadé network of ski areas, the largest in Europe.- History :... , Austria |
Slalom | |
| 22 Jan 2011 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy |
Downhill | |
| 25 Feb 2011 |  Åre, SwedenSweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Super Combined | |
| 27 Feb 2011 | Super G | ||
| 20 Mar 2011 | Lenzerheide, Switzerland |
Nations Team Event |
External links
- FIS-ski.com – World Cup season standings – Maria Riesch
- Ski-DB.com – Results – Maria Riesch
- Maria Riesch.de – – official homepage
- Vancouver 2010.com – Maria Riesch – Germany – Alpine skiing
- Photo report: Celebrating Maria Riesch