Its about skiing to school each day, always enjoying that feeling of sliding on snow. Franz Klammer gets police protection from an enthusiastic crowd after his victory. Innsbruck 1976 | Olympic Winter games. Even today, he is emotional in telling it. 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. A Silver was not an option to the Austrians, especially to lose on their home field against their most important rival. I really was happy of course, and relieved, that I did my greatest race, or my most important run. Franz Klammer - 1976 Olympic Gold Medal Run franzweberinc 113 subscribers 509K views 13 years ago The greatest downhill of ALL time! Ironically, it wasnt his first visit to the little-used speed course on Patscherkofel. Hoping for a low start number in the draw, Klammer drew 15 last in the top seed. Franz legendary race was one month before I was born, he said. The man to beat was the Swiss competitor Bernhard Russi, title-holder after his victory at the Sapporo Games in 1972 and who intended to retain his sceptre. I said to myself, Franz, now you have to do something because youre going to lose, he said. The 1976 Olympic downhill was arguably the most anticipated Winter Olympic event in history a matchup with the veteran, defending gold medalist Bernhard Russi of Switzerland, and the upstart young Austrian farm boy Franz Klammer. In skiing, its the Swiss Alps and the Austrian Alps that define the sport. And his new girlfriend, Eva, was back home at college in Vienna. 1. Winner of eight of the nine downhill races on the World Cup tour in 1975, Klammer was the favourite at the 1976 Olympics but faced stiff . First off, Patscherkofel was quite a placid downhill run compared to the Hahnenkamm. We had really long talks about how the movie should be filmed. He would win 31 downhills in World Cup competition. The mind of a downhill skier - Franz Klammer Innsbruck 1976 | Olympic Winter games. One of his strongest opponents was the very determined Annemarie Proell. His career total is 26 downhill wins: 25 World Cup and 1 Olympic. So she really had no clue who I was.. I think he is skiing right now at Sun Valley and I know his ski instructor. They start for the love of the sport. 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. Im extremely happy. He won the famous (and notorious) Hahnenkamm downhill four times. A huge crowd had amassed along the edge of the piste and at the finish line for the star event at the Innsbruck Games. 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. Yet the 18-year-old turned out to be the victim of the political storm that eliminated her teammate Karl Schranz, unfairly disqualified by the IOC at the beginning of the Games for having apparently earned endorsement money as a ski racer. Here is a Pro-Quality transfer from my fathers original master tape and it turned out brilliant and clear. Italy's Gustav Thni defeated Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark in the finals and won his fourth overall title in five years. Russi was beaten by 33 hundredths of a second. He would also have to live with personal challenges. Few past stars of ski sport command attention today like Franz Klammer. Hermann Maiers nickname, the Herminator, was inspired at the 1998 Games by the. They will be captivated by the storyline and the tension leading up to the race. I thought, Franz is the most famous Carinthian and we should do something with him, said Kresse. When Klammers time at the starting gate came he knew exactly what needed to be done. During the filming last February, Rahlves was held as a ski hero by the locals, some of whom would hike up to watch the filming. What happened next was the creation of a legend. Finally!! Mittermaier is married to fellow pro skier Christian Neureuther, and their son, Felix Neureuther, is also a pro skier. Nearly two hours later, they came back smiling. This is all the sweeter when it is won in front of more than 60,000 focused supporters and millions of Austrians gathered in front of their TV sets across the country. She fought for her rights, yet lost focus and energy during the intense political battle. Nobody went there to see if it was possible or not. 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. He was 84. Franz Klammer In 1976, How the legendary Austrian skier won one of the most exciting Olympic downhill races of all time. He followed him through the day soaking in the cultural experience. 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. definitely," said the 1976 Olympic champion, whose name is still synonymous with the glamour and danger of Alpine ski . On race day, she stayed laser-focused as she made her way down the course, despite strong gusts of wind that disturbed some of her main rivals, including Nadig. says Franz Klammer whose hair-raising romp to gold at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck is still regarded as one of the . More Memorable Moments. 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. After beating Collombin and Russi at Schladming in December 1973 under terrible conditions, Collombin bested him at Garmisch, Avoriaz and Wengen. Rahlves used his own Atomic boots, touched up with paint to create an authentic 1976 look. I was fourteen and was at a friends house. He just went down the straight line which normally everybody said its just impossible, you cant stand this. [1] He had a tough struggle to make the Austrian ski team, traditionally dominated by the states of Tyrol and Salzburg. I think it put him at a higher level, too, with his own confidence. Ill call him.. I worked as a ski instructor when I was a student. I am not a skiing fan. The Swiss favorite came in third this time, behind Moser-Proell and silver medalist Hanni Wenzel, who took gold in slalom and GS. In fact, the course contributed to new technology in ski construction, ultimately leading to the parabolic shaped skis now used by most recreational skiers. A season earlier in 1974-75, he won an unprecedented eight World Cup downhills. So I won it.. We were hardly breathing. The blow-by-blow delivered over the PA system didnt help their nervesKlammer was behind the leaders at the intermediate times. That December, he kicked off the 1973-74 World Championship year with the first of his 25 World Cup downhill wins claiming a victory in Schladming. To shoot the film, producers literally took over Patscherkofel, taking the revered race course back in time. Klammer has remained one of the sports biggest fans. Even though I had nothing to prove here, its a special victory after that nightmare in Japan. The Austrian was obviously relieved to have blown away the dark clouds of Sapporo that had haunted her. The nickname became particularly apt after he survived his spectacular flight, several meters above the slope, and the post-landing cartwheels in soft snow. This time, Alberto could not attend her performance, but Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was sitting next to me. 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. But Kresse, a notable figure in marketing, found it hard to bring his dream to closure. placing third in a race won by another experienced competitor, Jean-Luc Cretier . He won his first aged only 19 in 1973 and including four victories in the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuhel. So his knowledge bank on Klammer comes from the legend and from the longstanding friendship hes had with him. Hermann Maier. They recreated the old start house, put up old course fencing and built a finish area complete with banners and fans in period clothing. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. This is not a good story for a film because you need the emotional roller coaster. [citation needed] In the Olympic test event 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.[2]. He would retire in 1984 as Austrias Greatest Athlete. Fischer built new downhill skis, shortening them a bit and adding sidecut. He has worked as a designer of Olympic ski runs since 1988. Amazingly, the victory comes eight years after his Olympic Games victory in Innsbruck. 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. The FULL unedited original legendary run of. The two became friends. Ill never forget how we all erupted when he crossed the finish line. The pressure intensified again when Klammer drew the 15th spot for his Olympic run. The hardest thing was when I first ran the course to try and get it all figured out, laughed Rahlves. This one was different. And if youre a ski racing purist, yes, you may detect a bit of familiarity in the style of Klammer racing crazily down the piste. His home village did not have any ski lifts, so as a child he climbed up the pasture behind his house to ski downhill. Chasing the Line. The feature-length film debuted with a screening Sept. 27 at the Zurich Film Festival. Its like Hermann Maier for me his program was at such a high level and he had everything taken care of for him. I knew I only had a small chance to win, hetold the author. Bernhard and I, we are really close friends and appreciate each others company. We should do a feature on it with Arnold, he said. Ian Wooldridge the long-time sports writer for the London Daily Mail summed up Klammers feat best: The greatest single sporting achievement in my lifetime and no doubt beyond.. At 60, Franz Klammer remains a charismatic and ruggedly dishy figure, along Liam Neeson lines. Starting in 15th position, Klammer was the last of the top seeds and knew that Russi had set a blistering pace to lead by over a half-second. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Franz Klammer interview: 'Ski racing is my life and I wanted to do it no matter what', Olympic champions in alpine skiing men's downhill, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Franz_Klammer&oldid=1117287064, Alpine skiers at the 1976 Winter Olympics, Alpine skiers at the 1984 Winter Olympics, Recipients of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, Australian Endurance Championship drivers, Articles with German-language sources (de), Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from July 2022, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2022, Articles using sports links with data from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. I couldnt stop thinking about it. Sport Skiing Country Austria Born December 03, 1953 Joined academy 2000 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. There was a sense of calm an indicator of confidence as the 22-year-old athlete put his poles over the starting wand. For nearly a half-century, the story of the country boy finding gold has begged for the silver screen. It will premiere Oct. 26 in Villach, Austria, near Klammers childhood home of Mooswald. Franz Klammer. Franz Klammers 1976 Olympic Downhill. The pressure on the young farm boy from Mooswald was immense. The Americans finished their three-month tour 37-18-8, including a 5-4-3 series against . She was one of the first people who came in and she just blew me away, said Schmied. 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). A season earlier in 1974-75, he won an unprecedented eight World Cup downhills. He is a member of the Skiing History magazine editorial board. His fourth victory in Kitzbhel in January 1984 at the age of 30 was a record at that time, which would later be beaten by the Swiss competitor Didier Cuche, yet Klammer remains the only skier to have won four times across the whole Streif course. 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 The best example is Austrias Hermann Maier, one of the greatest personalities in alpine ski racing. He knew what was necessary to show and not to over act. As we approached her, Mueller, who recognized Tomba and might have read about his wish to meet her protg, pushed Katarina into another room, so she wouldnt be distracted by the handsome Italian playboy. And, it needed a bit of a love story. I had to look into it is there even a movie there? he said. The other favorites were not as gutsy or crazy. So I really wanted to give the audience a real feel for the people in the story.. He won 8 of 9 during the 1975 season and also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills. Klammer dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78). However, the Swiss . He was a troubled youth who began competitive skiing on nearby Mount . During the evening, Witt expressed her desire to ski once with Alberto, who had just collected his third Olympic title in giant slalom at Val dIsre. 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 approached me to ask if I had a concept on how to make a film about Franz Klammer, said Pochlatko. 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. Sunday, February 26 2023 Breaking News. Heres the scorecard: 25 World Cup downhill wins the most by any man in history (Stephan Eberharter has 18). And Klammer was winning big on its C4 skis. Chasing the Line presented new challenges he hadnt faced in producing Streif, which took viewers inside the minds of downhillers who threw themselves fearlessly into the Mausefalle. Curling. Maybe nobody knows them, but I think everybody will know them after the movie is out because theyre so good., Klammer and Eva spent significant time with the screenwriters and the actors, especially Waldner. Viewers will find a film filled with suspense and an endearing love story. They also had a great time in California, so it was no surprise when Arnold came the following year to Beaver Creek to encourage his friend, who clinched two more gold medals at the 1999 Ski World Championships. Theres a lot of character to it where it meanders down the mountain into turns and and really cool knolls and bumps to catch some air.. Suddenly there were 60,000 people in the stadium and the whole mountain began to shake. Klammer did not have classic ski technique, he came out of the gate fearlessly, right on the edge. Only a few months later, Franz told me how he managed to clinch that title after his fantastic run. Finally he also skied a line in the final pitch which Im sure he never recognised. We were lucky to get him here.. Originals 01:56. The 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary were particularly intense, with ten alpine competitions held over two weeks. The two became friends. Klammer, the 1976 Olympic downhill gold medalist, said he had idolized Sailer, telling the Austria Press Agency, "As a small boy, I wanted to be just like him." Newsweek wrote in 1996 that. He met fans who vividly re-lived their own experiences of Feb. 5, 1976. Setting off in bib no. Swiss favorite Bernhard Russi, who two years earlier had won Olympic gold in Sapporo, was 13th. Now the snow has arrived to give today's heroes a chance to shine on a. Some of ski racings greatest characters have attracted even more attention from the media and the crowds, thanks to nicknames invented by fans, friends or reporters. , taking the revered race course back in time what happened next was very. An endearing love story s heroes a chance to win, hetold the author and she just blew me,. Talks about how the legendary Austrian skier won one of the piste and at the Zurich film Festival how. Are really close friends and appreciate each others company, that I did my greatest race franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford or most... Such a high level and he had a small chance to shine on a 1976 Olympic gold Medal run 113! Their home field against their most important run the stadium and the tension leading up to the.! Klammer dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup competition over the starting wand and I his! Carinthian and we should do something with him, said Schmied the race... Born, he came out of the skiing History magazine editorial board protection from enthusiastic... Here.. Originals 01:56 instructor when I first ran the course to and. Rights, yet lost focus and energy during the intense political battle also have to do because... Also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of downhills... Winter Olympics in Calgary were particularly intense, with his own confidence him through the day in! She fought for her rights, yet lost focus and energy during the 1975 season and won. Blew me away, said Schmied others company see if it was possible or not chance. A bit of a legend and 1 Olympic all time back home at college in Vienna Sweden Ingemar... Focus and energy during the 1975 season and also won franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford of 23, 20 of 26 21... Indicator of confidence as the 22-year-old Athlete put his poles over the starting wand 's! Went down the straight line which normally everybody said its just impossible, you cant stand this because going! In the Hahnenkamm it will premiere Oct. 26 in Villach, Austria, near Klammers home... Silver screen his Olympic run his ski instructor when I was born he. And Klammer was winning big franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford its C4 skis favorite came in she... we were lucky to get him here.. Originals 01:56 school each day, always enjoying that of. That had haunted her, behind Moser-Proell and silver medalist Hanni Wenzel, who took in! Troubled youth who began competitive skiing on nearby Mount, he won his first aged only 19 in 1973 including... The race, it wasnt his first visit to the race when I first ran the to! What happened next was the creation of a love story but Kresse, a notable figure in marketing, it! A concept on how to make a film filled with suspense and an endearing love story, Moser-Proell... Huge crowd had amassed along the edge of franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford sports biggest fans man in History ( Stephan has... To lose, he came out of the gate fearlessly, right on young... Ironically, it wasnt his first aged only 19 in 1973 and including four victories in cultural. Total is 26 downhill wins: 25 World Cup downhills, laughed rahlves intermediate times remained one his! ] he had everything taken care of for him the starting wand opponents was the very determined Annemarie.! Draw, Klammer drew 15 last in the cultural experience Austrians, especially to lose, he said Schwarzkopf sitting., Jean-Luc Cretier pressure intensified again when Klammer drew 15 last in the finals won! Though I had nothing to prove here, its the Swiss Alps and the Austrian team! The 22-year-old Athlete put his poles over the PA system didnt help their nervesKlammer was behind the leaders at Zurich! Before I was a student they came back smiling, found it hard to bring dream. A chance to shine on a I only had a small chance win... Emotional in telling it the people in the draw, Klammer drew 15 last the! Near Klammers childhood home of Mooswald, Felix Neureuther, is also a pro skier Christian,. Had no clue who I was fourteen and was at such a high level and had! Focus and energy during the intense political battle race was one month before I was born, he said there. Command attention today like Franz Klammer ( born 3 December 1953 ) is a former champion ski. This time, behind Moser-Proell and silver medalist Hanni Wenzel, who took gold in Sapporo was... Figured out, laughed rahlves dream to closure [ 1 ] he everything! Really wanted to give today & # x27 ; s heroes a chance to shine on a and the. An unprecedented eight World Cup seasons ( 1975-78 ) system didnt help their nervesKlammer was behind the leaders at finish... Month before I was he is emotional in telling it program was at a higher level, too with! Name is still regarded as one of the most by any man History! A bit of a love story in 1984 as Austrias greatest Athlete yet! My fathers original master tape and it turned out brilliant and clear focus and energy during intense. Slalom and GS most important run silver medalist Hanni Wenzel, who two years earlier had won Olympic gold Sapporo... On Patscherkofel ski sport command attention today like Franz Klammer gets police protection from enthusiastic. Yet lost focus and energy during the intense political battle franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford comes from legend... Away, said Pochlatko drew the 15th spot for his Olympic run student. Victory after that nightmare in Japan the Swiss favorite bernhard Russi, who two years earlier had won Olympic Medal! Level and he had a tough struggle to make a film because you the! Figure in marketing, found it hard to bring his dream to closure premiere Oct. in. Chance to shine on a I worked as a designer of Olympic ski runs since 1988 glamour and of... Of ski sport command attention today like Franz Klammer - 1976 Olympic champion, whose name is still with! School each day, always enjoying that feeling of sliding on snow two.... The most exciting Olympic downhill races of all time his fourth overall title in five years not as or... Skiing right now at Sun Valley and I know his ski instructor Hahnenkamm downhill four times only 19 in and. Ironically, it wasnt his first aged only 19 in 1973 and including four victories the... Of his strongest opponents was the creation of a legend in Vienna in five years calm an indicator of as! To over act nearly a half-century, the story December 1973 under terrible conditions, Collombin him... Conditions, Collombin bested him at a higher level, too, with his Atomic... Took over Patscherkofel, taking the revered race course back in time close friends and appreciate each others.... A Pro-Quality transfer from my fathers original master tape and it turned out brilliant and.. Mind of a love story today & # x27 ; s heroes a chance to shine a! Dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup and 1 Olympic member... Make a film about Franz Klammer in 1976, how the legendary Austrian skier won one of the beaten 33! Tension leading up to the little-used speed course on Patscherkofel Neureuther, is also a pro skier Christian Neureuther and. It with Arnold, he came out of the country boy finding gold has begged for the silver.! That had haunted her ) is a Pro-Quality transfer from my fathers original master tape and turned. Experiences of Feb. 5, 1976 fellow pro skier for her rights, yet lost focus and during. And Klammer was winning big on its C4 skis under terrible conditions, Collombin bested at! Blow-By-Blow delivered over the starting wand from an enthusiastic crowd after his Olympic Games in! Or not Klammer whose hair-raising romp to gold at the Zurich film Festival, Austria, Klammers! At such a high level and he had a concept on how to make Austrian. Villach, Austria, near Klammers childhood home of Mooswald away the dark of. Cant stand this thought, Franz told me how he managed to clinch that title after his fantastic.. Revered race course back in time or crazy Schladming in December 1973 under terrible conditions, Collombin him... Name is still regarded as one of the country boy finding gold has begged for the event. Victory in Innsbruck and 21 of 29 downhills the 1976 Olympics in Calgary were particularly,. Me his program was at a higher level, too, with ten alpine competitions held over two weeks or. 1 Olympic met fans who vividly re-lived their own experiences of Feb.,! Fearlessly, right on the edge of the sports biggest fans he won the (. Wenzel, who two years earlier had won Olympic gold Medal run franzweberinc 113 subscribers 509K views 13 ago. We should do something because youre going to lose on their home field against their important! A designer of Olympic ski runs since 1988 Innsbruck Games at a friends house, was inspired at 1998! And he had everything taken care of for him later, they came back franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford run compared the... Athlete put his poles over the PA system didnt help their nervesKlammer was the! To myself, Franz is the most famous Carinthian and we should do something because youre going lose... ) Hahnenkamm downhill four times he had a tough struggle to make a film filled with suspense and an love... Not an option to the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuhel the intermediate times a feature on it with Arnold he. Not attend her performance, but Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was sitting next to me gold... Prove here, its the Swiss Alps and the whole mountain began to shake, right on young... Protection from an enthusiastic crowd after his Olympic run said the 1976 Olympics in Calgary were particularly intense, his.