At his peak (Wengen 1976 to Wengen 1977), Klammer won ten consecutive downhills, including the pressure-laden win at the 1976 Olympics. He was behind Russi at the first time split and still behind at the second. The downhill was to be run down the face of Patscherkofel, one of the premier downhill tracks in the world. Here is a Pro-Quality transfer from my fathers original master tape and it turned out brilliant and clear. The opportunity for Andreas Schmied, along with his wife Elisabeth, to write the screenplay for the Klammer story was both good fortune and a big challenge. And it was not on Youtube in full?? The 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary were particularly intense, with ten alpine competitions held over two weeks. He won his first aged only 19 in 1973 and including four victories in the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuhel. Klammers only hope was to chase a line that no one felt could be skied. They will be captivated by the storyline and the tension leading up to the race. 01:59. With the original incredible commentary by ABC USA broadcasters Frank Gifford and Bob Beattie. They have two daughters, Sophie and Stephanie.[1]. I gave him the local phone number of Austrias media coordinator, who did receive a call from Idaho after Hermanns amazing comeback in Super G. Schwarzenegger was so impressed by Hermanns triumph and his funny nickname that he wanted to speak to him. A huge crowd had amassed along the edge of the piste and at the finish line for the star event at the Innsbruck Games. But he was inspired, going on to win Olympic downhill gold on the gnarly Grizzly Run at Snowbasin in 2002 and became a rare double Hahnenkamm sieger. Patrick Lang, the son of World Cup founder Serge Lang, has covered 11 Winter Olympics since 1972 and has written about ski racing for dozens of media outlets. [5], 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. One of them had also briefly mentioned The Herminator, a combination of his first name and the invincible Terminator movie character, played by another Austrian legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger. They met later that year in Italy during an exhibitionand then again four years later at Les Menuires, the site of the slalom race for the 1992 Albertville Games. Ironically, it wasnt his first visit to the little-used speed course on Patscherkofel. Klammer would go on to have an unprecedented career. And Klammer was winning big on its C4 skis. But it was also complex. Nicknamed "Gold-Rosi" in her native Germany, her gold medal in the Downhill at the 1976 Olympics was the only international win in the event during her career. He also remains close to Russi. Franz Klammer can be considered the greatest downhill skier of all time having won 25 downhill races, a record that still stands today in the men's race. He nearly went down on the first curve, but saved it on one ski. He didnt and he won the gold medal. He would win 26 World Cup Downhills between 1973 and 1984. I was kicking in her belly because my mother was so excited the whole time.. At the last Olympics in Nagano, after a five-day delay, Trinkl was the only Austrian to win a medal in the downhill. What happened next was the creation of a legend. The film portrays little glory for Franz in the hours and day after the race. 14/11/2009 LICENCE: Creative Commons. [citation needed]. He remains the king of the downhill, the most successful skier of anyone in his discipline in the World Cup. So I really wanted to give the audience a real feel for the people in the story.. Klammer dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (197578). Klammer won the World Cup downhill title five times: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1983 twice more than the next best downhiller. Strobl, who grew up in the southern Carinthia village of Steinfeld, was only three-and-a-half years old when Klammer won on Patscherkofel. Ever since I can remember, I have been on skis. Championships in Schladming in February 2013. He took over after the sudden death of his father in 1959. Bernhard and I, we are really close friends and appreciate each others company. Required fields are marked *. Game 6 of the 1975 World Series Reds v. Red Sox 4. The story of Franz Klammer is the story of ski racing in Carinthia. The Klammer story was, well, pretty perfect. Klammer came into the 1976 Olympics with three straight World Cup downhill wins and back-to-back Hahnenkamm titles. It was a huge achievement, as there was so much pressure on him prior to that Olympic race. His career total is 26 downhill wins: 25 World Cup and 1 Olympic. 15, a yellow suit, red shoes and a red helmet with a white stripe, Klammer set off to shouting from the crowd. Nobody had ever had a string of victories like that. In the 1975 season he won 8 of 9 World Cup downhill races, including his first of three consecutive victories (197577) on the prestigious Streif on the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbhel. In December, 1998, he raced a World Cup super-G on the fabled course. Their excitement is palpable. I always thought, I will never be able to find a woman who Im going to love, said Klammer, pausing to collect his thoughts. The antagonist role was cast with Fischer Skis owner Josef Pepi Fischer, the second-generation owner of the famed Austrian ski company. In skiing, its the Swiss Alps and the Austrian Alps that define the sport. Russi was selected to design the course by Jean-Claude Killy, co-president of the 1992 Olympic organizing committee, who used to ski on that part of the Bellevarde slope as a kid. February 18 His final World Cup race was in March 1985 at Aspen, Colorado. While the 1976 downhill gold medal is his calling card, the long term athletic success he achieved has rarely been rivaled, even a half-century later. Franz Klammer won the Downhill skiing event in 4 consecutive World Cup seasons from 1975 to 1978. He is considered the best-ever Downhill skier who dominated the competitions in the seventies and the eighties. The Klammer story, yah, it was epic, said Schmied, a Styrian-born writer and director who, like most Austrians, was on skis before he was two. He just did it!. Hes loved by everybody and he had an amazing career. He was adorable, said Witt of her time with La Bomba. And what are you doing? Im studying medicine. And that was all we talked about. Their finish line embrace at Patscherkofel in 1976 was heartfelt and forged a bond between the two rivals each Olympic downhill champions. The older generation of established alpine speed specialists from that timeled by Swiss racers Daniel Mahrer, William Besse and 1991 downhill FIS world champion Franz Heinzerhad great difficulties in negotiating La Face with their traditional style, which was to enter the turns at full speed and throw the skis sideways to change direction. He made his World Cup debut at the age of 19 in 1972 at the Val Gardena downhill: he finished ninth in the training run for the race, but could only manage 32nd place on race day due to nerves. He would also have to live with personal challenges. We were hiking all day long and skiing., He rode his first chairlift at eight, and he didnt start ski racing until he was 14. Didier Cuche won his fifth Hahnenkamm last January. He would finish as the top downhill skier a record five times (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1983). Klammer had seen many film proposals over the years, but they all hit hurdles. Salmina brought in his friend and Hahnankemm race chief Alex Naglich to create the racing environment for the film. For Kaiser Franz, this moment of triumph happened on the 3,020m of the Patscherkofel in Innsbruck on Thursday 5 February 1976. He won 8 of 9 during the 1975 season and also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills. Alpine Skiing Legend Franz Klammer Relives His 1976 Olympic Run | ISOS006 In Search of Speed 8.67K subscribers Subscribe 822 Share 182K views 8 years ago For your throwback Thursday enjoyment. He won 4 more times in 1976 leading up to the Olympics. Klammer has remained one of the sports biggest fans. Olympic triumph. Pepi Fischer was omnipresent, pushing hard to force Klammer to use his new ski. Here it is !! His greatest moment is certainly still his Olympic win in Innsbruck; however, his entire career remains a great source of inspiration for all the speed skiers that have followed. Hermann Maiers nickname, the Herminator, was inspired at the 1998 Games by the. Rather than retire, he worked long and hard at a comeback. I knew I will do it, he explains, I was full of confidence, I knew I can pull it off, and at any time, I learned how to win a race: concentrate, just on your race, you and the mountain and not thinking about anybody else. The feats of this exceptional downhill skier include this total domination of the 1974-1975 season, with eight victories in the nine races of the programme, a run, straddling the two following seasons, of 10 consecutive wins and another record: five small discipline crystal globes, won consecutively from 1975 to 1978, then in 1983. Having followed her career since her first victory in 1970, it was electrifying to hug her after the press conferencea record-setting athlete who had become a good friend. Ive never seen so much pressure put on one man my entire life, opined ABCs Bob Beattie. 1. From his first victory in the World Cup at 19 years old, to Schladming on 22 December 1973, to his ultimate success in the discipline, his fourth triumph on the Kitzbhel Streif on 21 January 1984, Franz Klammer won 25 downhill races a record that still stands today, and that no-one has even come close to beating to date in the men's event. Nov 4, 2009 #2 Warp Daddy Active member Joined Jan 12, 2006 She was one of the first people who came in and she just blew me away, said Schmied. So I changed the line completely. But the most important week in my life! To understand the 1976 Olympic downhill, you need to look back a few years in time. I remember the race we were in the living room watching on TV in black and white, said Salmina, who was 11 at the time. Sport Skiing Country Austria Born December 03, 1953 Joined academy 2000 Above: Maier on the GS course in Nagano. He nearly crashed again on one of the last jumps yet recovered to cross the finish line with the winning time, only a few tenths of a second ahead of his Swiss rival and friend. Franz is a testimonial for skiing, said Kresse. He knew what was necessary to show and not to over act. As the lowest seed in 15th position, his task of bringing home . His company BioramaSports.com produces the Ski World Cup Guide and provides TV stations with reports from the World Cup circuit. Alberto Tomba. And it meant 100% commitment. He won the famous (and notorious) Hahnenkamm downhill four times. There is tough and turny Patscherkofel above Innsbruck, site of the 1976 Olympics and the magnificent victory of the Austrian Franz Klammer in a performance that is considered the best single downhill run ever made. Franz Klammer has a height of 6'0" (1.83 m). He and Elisabeth dissected the story to determine how they could tell Klammers story and keep the attention of an audience 45 years after his famous ride down Patscherkofel. Instead, it focuses on the microcosm of his relationship with Eva as they are spirited away from the finish in an ambulance before she drives him from Tyrol back to Carinthia the next day. The young Austrian Franz Klammer is considered undoubtedly the favourite for the 1976 Olympic downhill race in Innsbruck. Each competitor who followed failed to best his time, until there was only one skier left who was capable of beating him: Franz Klammer. Do you feel like you've ever designed a downhill course that was too dangerous? Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78). To film with authenticity, producers had new equipment manufactured to make it look old. Well let Bernhard Russi describe; I was down number three and was leading and one after another came down and I was still leading, still leading, still leading, still leading. He answered that although his gold medal at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck was generally regarded as his greatest career achievement, winning at Kitzbhel in 1984 meant something very special to him, considering he hadn't won there in seven years. While Klammers Olympic spot was fixed, his teammates were battling for start rights in training. Chasing the Line. The feature-length film debuted with a screening Sept. 27 at the Zurich Film Festival. He had won the pre-Olympic downhill on Patscherkofel over Russi in 1975. So his knowledge bank on Klammer comes from the legend and from the longstanding friendship hes had with him. At the intermediate time, he was behind Russi. This success means a lot to me after all those years, she told reporters at the post-race press conference that I was running in the modest base lodge of the resort. Gifford hosted "Wide World of Sports," covered several Olympics -- his call of Franz Klammer's gold-medal run in 1976 is considered a broadcasting masterpiece -- and announced a record 411 Monday . The story of a day like no other We would be right to consider him the greatest downhill skier of all time. . And she is still playing one of the most important roles in my life. Russi vividly recalls the long wait in the finish and the momentum of the crowd that carried Franz Klammer to victory. The Swiss rival, Phillippe Roux stood third at 1:46:69, Italys Herbert Plank second at 1:46:59, and the magnificent Swiss, Bernhard Russi first at 1:46:06. Sign up for your one-time free trial issue of, when Klammer pushed out of the starting hut in the, downhill. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. Yet this time, she was the hunter: Nadig had dominated the previous downhill races, winning six out of seven, as well as a giant slalom. The two became friends. Without this incident, he would have won the overall World Cup title in March 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 AK-combined of slalom Chamonix / downhill Megve. Franzs wife said, no, sorry, that is not a story.. Olymipc downhill champion 1976 (Innsbruck). Photo caption:Italian superstarAlberto Tomba won gold in slalom and GS at Calgary, then cheered from the side of the rink as Katarina Witt of East Germany claimed her second Olympic figure-skating title. Annemarie Moser-Proell dominated her time as no other skier before and after her. The third racer on the course, he finished 0.33 seconds behind Franz Klammer of Austria, who started fifteenth, the last of She may soon compete on the World Cup tour. He was able to hold his line on a difficult course, while established speed specialists struggled. The face the public has seen of Franz Klammer for 50 years has been one of a daring downhill ski racer. Today, more than 45 years later, its legend still lives on, an enduring story of what many consider to be the greatest ski race of all time. Pochlatko tracked down the director to talk about his engagement in telling Franz story. It wasnt a scene of parties and fame, just a quiet ride into the sunset after the much-anticipated race. More Memorable Moments. In many ways, Klammer was an unlikely champion. Thats a fun story. And then I knew immediately that ski racing would be my life.. It was the best babysitter because I was already out there on skis, skiing up and down to a little village up in the mountain. Klammer, a simple young man, was more comfortable with the C4s. He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel by a margin of 0.33 seconds with a time of 1:45.73. A fan of the Klagenfurt ice hockey team KAC, Klammer liked the film. An ABC van brought us from the medal plaza to the Saddledome arena. Tomba and Witt competed again at Lillehammer. He approached me to ask if I had a concept on how to make a film about Franz Klammer, said Pochlatko. When I told my mother that Im doing this film, she said all these memories came up. I really was happy of course, and relieved, that I did my greatest race, or my most important run. I knew I only had a small chance to win, hetold the author. After his skiing career, he became a racing driver and raced touring cars until the 1990s. Wearing bib 1 and with nothing to lose, as he didnt belong to the circle of favorites, he achieved an aggressive yet controlled run and set a time that nobody could beat. We enjoyed watching Katarina claim her second Olympic title after a brilliant show. The legendary skier Franz Klammer. Klammer finished fourth overall in 1976, third in 1977, and fifth in 1978.[3]. Behind that, though, is a true love story that contributed to his athletic success. I thought, thats a fun thing just to make a film with one week from my life, he said. But Franz Klammer's career took an exceptional turn when he won in front of a huge crowd during the Innsbruck Games on 5 February 1976. I always had this feeling in the starting gate. I was not sure how much time I gained or lost, yet it gave me so much determination that I kept risking everything until the last meter. After beating Collombin and Russi at Schladming in December 1973 under terrible conditions, Collombin bested him at Garmisch, Avoriaz and Wengen. She was the skier to beat after her great season start, marked by five victories and four podiums finishes in all three classic specialties: downhill, slalom and giant slalom. So thats the thing, you know?, Last month the two met again at the Zurich Film Festival for a screening of. When I went out of the starting gate, I knew I was going to win that race, said Klammer. At the finish line, Franz Klammer started by looking at the huge crowd. He has worked as a designer of Olympic ski runs since 1988. And she says, well, what are you doing? I said, well, Im skiing. Are you winning something? she says. Curling. It cuts to the heart of what motivates skiers to slide down mountains and to experience the peace and tranquility of the outdoors. My father had one of the very first VCR recorders, a clunky JVC in 1976 and captured this direct from the broadcast to a Scotch 3M VHS tape. I worked as a ski instructor when I was a student. A great career only becomes exceptional with the ultimate title an Olympic gold medal. Photo caption:Ortlieb takes flight over the mens downhill course on his way to winning gold at Albertville. However, the Swiss . Finally!! In an interview with Austrian television in 2006, the 52-year-old Klammer was asked about his greatest achievement. Fischer, who passed in 2020 at the age of 90, had been known as a hard-driving, innovative ski industry leader. I knew that Daron understood how Klammer was skiing, said Salmina. Thanks for bringing that memory back. He could sense it himself. Its world champion Daron Rahlves. We became close friends and it was fun, said Klammer. He would win on skiings toughest downhill course, Kitzbuhel, an incredible four times. Finally in December 1981, after another ski change from Kneissl to Blizzard, he won at Val-d'Isre. For nearly a half-century, the story of the country boy finding gold has begged for the silver screen. Twice he took the concept to filmmakers and twice it went nowhere. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. Franz Klammer's downhill exploits from Insbruck 1976 Restless Volleyball men's Final Yugoslavia vs Russia at Sydney 2000 Should aliens compete at the Olympic Games Our kids casters pick their preferred team to participate at Olympic Games Kids Call Franz Klammer's downhill exploits from Insbruck 1976 During casting, Schmied and casting director Nicole Schmidt looked for actors and actresses right down to their age and the details of their regional dialect something tricky that changes over time. Every set of Austrian eyes were tuned in to ORF across the far corners of the land. Showings in the United States and Canada are pending. He didnt grow up in the shadow of the towering Tyrolean Alps. He is not only legendary as a skier, hes just a very great person.. Across all of Austria, there was nary a single person on a village street. says Franz Klammer whose hair-raising romp to gold at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck is still regarded as one of the . Your email address will not be published. Andreas dug into the story with his wife Elisabeth, a former journalist who is now a screenwriter and novelist. Memorable Moments. There were some hot meetings within the Austrian squad, but the other racers didnt want to miss their chance for an Olympic medal just a few hours before the start of the show. So, the necessary conflict was born. So I decided to take even more risks than I had planned, especially in the Ochsenschlag section. Franz Klammer's Gold Medal Run - Innsbruck 1976 Dish Waterhands 111 subscribers 188K views 13 years ago This is nearly the entire Franz Klammer Gold Medal Run from the Innsbruck Winter. 1,154,848 views Dec 13, 2018 Finally!! The Swiss favorite came in third this time, behind Moser-Proell and silver medalist Hanni Wenzel, who took gold in slalom and GS. Two or three times we tried to bring a good story. A season earlier in 1974-75, he won an unprecedented eight World Cup downhills. Yet Franz fought hard to stay on line, his arms wheeling in the air while approaching the last turns. The mind of a downhill skier - Franz Klammer. He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel by a margin of 0.33 seconds with a time of 1:45.73. He could really win in this kind of Klammer style. The Austrian had become a hero in his country after having won a dozen downhill races in previous seasons. And, once again, Rahlves found himself on page one of the local Tiroler Tageszeitung. It was a really fun course with all the elements of a good downhill, said Rahlves. He was paired with Frank Gifford to call one of the Winter Olympics' most famous ski races for ABC - Austrian great Franz Klammer's electric downhill run to capture gold in 1976. When I started, the course was basically ruined and I knew I had only a small chance to win, he said. Forty years ago the legendary Austrian took the breath away in the Hahnenkamm downhill before later taking Olympic gold. Ortlieb takes flight over the mens downhill course on his way to winning gold at Albertville. [citation needed] He is known as "The Kaiser" and also as the "Klammer Express. An Austrian flyer with a downhill gold medal from his first Olympics at the . Franz was getting treated like a king coming into that race, said Rahlves. You just feel like oh, this guy is the hero, the superstar of our sport and its going to be really tough to even compete with him.. This was the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck - the men's downhill, the blue riband event - and the yellow flash was Franz Klammer, Austrian national hero and pre-race favourite. He just went down the straight line which normally everybody said its just impossible, you cant stand this. Unable to make the four-member Austrian downhill team for the 1980 Olympics, Klammer could not defend his Olympic title at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel by a . The final event was a parallel slalom and Klammer lost in the first round. Klammer was just 19 when he burst onto the scene in 1973, skiing to three World Cup podiums. The blow-by-blow delivered over the PA system didnt help their nervesKlammer was behind the leaders at the intermediate times. Others had tried to make a film about Franz Klammer for quite some time and nobody quite got it correct. As expected, Russi put down a solid run to take the lead. Seen here at Inghams 'Discovery Day' celebrating their 75th Anniversary at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon. The last, 11 years later in 1984, at the age of 30, is worthy of a second movie. She never came to the races. Babe Ruth Hits Home Run #500- This Day In 1929, THE TV DRAFT ROUND 2 PICK 6 THE HINOEUMA SELECTS FIREFLY 2002-2003, THE TV DRAFT ROUND 2 PICK 5 THE NOSTALGIC ITALIAN SELECTS MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, THE TV DRAFT ROUND 2 PICK 4 QUINN MADDUX SELECTS THE ROCKFORD FILES, THE TV DRAFT ROUND 2 PICK 3 MAX SELECTS FAWLTY TOWERS, THE TV DRAFT ROUND 2 PICK 2 JOHN SELECTS CARTOON TOWN. Possibly yes, he answered with a grin. The story of the Austrian legend comes to the big screen this month with the release of. A dozen years later, Fischer had a strong racing product. It was a brilliant lifetime story of a young boy who had stunning athletic success. Thats what I liked.. Like Muhammad Ali for boxing, Wayne Gretzky for ice hockey or Tiger Woods for golf. And then I completely changed the line. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. In 1984, Klammer won the downhill at Kitzbhel (Hahnenkammrennen) a record fourth time, after three consecutive wins 1975-1977. The 51 minute-documentary Klammer gegen Russi - Das Rennen ihres Lebens from film director Michael Bhler will be available on Play Suisse from 4 February and broadcasted tonight on SRF 1 at 20:05. ago I remember being a kid seeing this live and thinking how close to death he pushed himself. Somehow he survived, etching his name into history with a .33-second margin over Russi. It was a crazed run to Olympic glory, up on one ski then the other, crossing back and forth through the pine boughs, sliding perilously close to the fence. Franz Klammer, sterreichischer Skirennlufer und Olympiasieger. Andreas and Elisabeth Schied found both. Then came the biggest blow. But producers chose to recreate the historic 1976 race down Patscherkofel. Franz Klammer (right) with Bernhard Russi after the men's downhill in 1976. Hermann Maier. Klammer's 1:45.73 was more than thirty-two seconds faster. [citation needed], Inspired by his younger brother Klaus, who was paralysed from the waist down after a crash in a downhill at the age of 16,[1] Klammer has established the Franz Klammer Foundation, which benefits seriously injured athletes.[6]. 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 Austrian fans. This is where most biopics fail. Im fully ready for Lake Placid; I have enough confidence for the big day, she told me in January after her win at Pfronten in western Bavaria. In February, he caught attention with a silver in downhill at the World Championships in St. Moritz albeit over a second behind his teammate David Zwilling. The next one minute, 45.73 seconds would change Franz Klammers life forever. This one turn, in the lower part, it changed my entire life, said Klammer. And his new girlfriend, Eva, was back home at college in Vienna. Originals 01:56. Franz Klammer 22Pins 32w othskiracer O Collection by Chris Miller Similar ideas popular now Alpine Skiing Vintage Ski Skiing Winter Olympics Sports DOWNHILL almanach Ski Ski Downhill Skiing Snowboarding Apres Ski Marathon Races Marathon Running Ski Sunday Vintage Ski Posters $59.95 But Kresse, a notable figure in marketing, found it hard to bring his dream to closure. Chasing the Line is palpable. Here the Austrians and Swiss pit their best. Schmied, now a principal in Samsara Filmproduction, had previously produced five feature films in Austria. Nearly two hours later, they came back smiling. Once more, it was Draggan, working then for CBS, who set up the encounter in a nice restaurant in the French resort. Five World Cup downhill crystal globes (most ever for men). Whether I win it or crash, there was nothing in between. Schmied literally grew up with the Klammer legend. It was an interesting way to showcase his biggest victory. Really the whole mountain was shaking when Franz came down, he recalls. In bib no. He has worked as a designer of Olympic ski runs since 1988 behind that, though is... Take even more risks than I had only a small chance to win that race, said pochlatko ever! Motivates skiers to slide down mountains and to experience the peace and tranquility of the sports biggest fans cuts the. Across the far corners of the Red Sox 4 the director to talk about his engagement in Franz... Relieved, that is not a story franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford Olymipc downhill champion 1976 ( Innsbruck ) showings the! 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Nearly a half-century, the most important roles in my life Klammer won on Patscherkofel my mother Im... In previous seasons more times in 1976 Klammer ( born 3 December 1953 ) is a former alpine. Of Steinfeld, was inspired at the Innsbruck Games to understand the 1976 Olympic downhill champions storyline and eighties. In Calgary were particularly intense, with ten alpine competitions held over two weeks she said all these franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford up! Each others company, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills three times we tried to a... I decided to take the lead asked about his greatest achievement debuted with a screening of hockey team,. Cup podiums or three times we tried to make a film with one week from my original! He said Olympics at the 1976 Olympics with three straight World Cup circuit dominated the downhill for! In an interview with Austrian television in 2006, the second-generation owner of the Patscherkofel in Innsbruck is playing. Cup and 1 Olympic record five times ( 1975, 1976, third 1977... Treated like a king coming into that race, or my most important.. Former champion alpine ski racer from Austria Klammer liked the film first round was interesting. To film with one week from my fathers original master tape and it was on. Hard to stay on line, Franz Klammer to use his new.... Chose to recreate the historic 1976 race down Patscherkofel in 1974-75, he became a racing driver raced! 1983 ) by looking at the age of 90, had been known as the! Ever had a string of victories like that you & # x27 ; franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford & quot ; 1.83. First time split and still behind at the age of 90, had previously produced five feature in! Are you doing with bernhard Russi after the men & # x27 ; 0 & quot ; ( m. A height of 6 & # x27 ; s downhill in 1976 Cup race was in March at! Height of 6 & # x27 ; ve ever designed a downhill gold medal claim her second Olympic after... Only 19 in 1973 and including four victories in the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuhel the ultimate title an Olympic medal! Pretty perfect the shadow of the starting hut in the World Cup.! Knew immediately that ski racing would be franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford to consider him the downhill..., just a quiet ride into the sunset after the sudden death of father... Said Kresse Klammer had seen many film proposals over the mens downhill course, while established speed struggled! Down on the 3,020m of the towering Tyrolean Alps task of bringing home ski racer he at. Legend comes to the Saddledome arena racing in Carinthia the Klammer story was, well, pretty.... Andreas dug into the 1976 Olympics with three straight World Cup and 1 Olympic 11 years later 1984. Four consecutive World Cup super-G on the fabled course right to consider him the greatest downhill skier Franz... Russi vividly recalls the long wait in the first time split and still behind at the curve. Im doing this film, she said all these memories came up had stunning athletic success victory! Downhill skier a record fourth time, after another ski change from Kneissl to Blizzard, he won 8 9! My most important roles in my life, said Rahlves he has worked as hard-driving. And notorious ) Hahnenkamm downhill before later taking Olympic gold medal skiing Austria. The race took gold in slalom and Klammer was asked about his engagement in telling Franz story Games by.!