! There was a sense of calm an indicator of confidence as the 22-year-old athlete put his poles over the starting wand. In the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, the stakes rose. The first choice to play the role of Franz was Julian Waldner. His final World Cup race was in March 1985 at Aspen, Colorado. Klammer came into the 1976 Olympics with three straight World Cup downhill wins and back-to-back Hahnenkamm titles. In the summer of 1975, in the lead-up to the Olympics, the Austrian team held a training camp in Tunisia where he coincidentally met a young girl from Vienna. He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel by a . The Austrian nation would accept nothing short of a Gold as they hosted the World. He was kind of a tough, tough guy.. He was always going for the victory. Kids act as sportscasters while watching Franz Klammer's performance at the Olympic Winter Games Insbruck 1976. . In skiing, its the Swiss Alps and the Austrian Alps that define the sport. He won 8 of 9 during the 1975 season and also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills. Ironically, it wasnt his first visit to the little-used speed course on Patscherkofel. But young Franz loved the snow, skiing to school in the winter and climbing up hills on his own to come racing back down. I think it is the most exciting Olympics event I've ever seen. Really the whole mountain was shaking when Franz came down, he recalls. 2-The Thrilla In Manila- Ali V Frazier III 3. The next day, Katarina showed up on time with her gear, which Albertos personal bodyguard carried up to the hill. He was behind Russi at the first time split and still behind at the second. We were a team."eattie served as a commentator for ABC Sports coverage of alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics from 1976 to 1988. ski team historian Tom Kelly last . After his 1978 World Cup win, Klammer's performances stagnated for several years, not winning a World Cup race until 1981. Since the previous season the charismatic newcomer has won virtually every race.The pressure from the media and the public and the hopes of an entire nation are off the scales. It was a huge achievement, as there was so much pressure on him prior to that Olympic race. 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.. Literally, the entire mountain was shaking, said Russi. Three years ago, Kresse tried one more time. The Swiss favorite came in third this time, behind Moser-Proell and silver medalist Hanni Wenzel, who took gold in slalom and GS. Austrian skier Franz Klammer won gold on home soil in the downhill at the 1976 Games, by a slim margin of 0.33 seconds. Swiss favorite Bernhard Russi, who two years earlier had won Olympic gold in Sapporo, was 13th. Alberto 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. So I decided to take even more risks.. Old School. The 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary were particularly intense, with ten alpine competitions held over two weeks. He was so eager to play the Franz Klammer and do it right.. Pochlatko tracked down the director to talk about his engagement in telling Franz story. So that was the important thing., They were married in 1979. Klammer seemed doomed. Klammer would go on to have an unprecedented career. And there was only one leftit was Franz Klammer. Russi continued; Franz Klammer was in the starting gate. 3, he performed pretty well and crossed the finish line with a time of 1:46.06, giving him the lead. The Italian skier, closely followed by a crew from a U.S. network, was proudly wearing his two Olympic gold medals around his neck. Franz Klammer, Austrian Alpine skier who specialized in the downhill event, winning 25 World Cup downhill races in his career. But the most important week in my life! He was 21st on a day where Austria swept the first nine places behind winner Hermann Maier. I always had this feeling in the starting gate. Today, Franz Klammer is a paid ambassador for several ski resorts and corporations. Apparently they also threw quite a party at Arnies suite at the Hyatt Hotel to celebrate the wins. There are no products in your shopping cart. Yet Franz fought hard to stay on line, his arms wheeling in the air while approaching the last turns. Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78). Plus historical audio featuring ABC sportscaster Frank Gifford on the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics and the gold medal Franz Klammer downhill run that inspired this trip. Hoping for a low start number in the draw, Klammer drew 15 last in the top seed. The 1974-75 winter was practically perfect for Kaiser . Many still call it the greatest downhill of all time. Instead, he was born in the southernmost Austrian state of Carinthia, a region with lesser-known mountains and a bit outside the ski racing spotlight. Enjoy!! Klammer, a simple young man, was more comfortable with the C4s. Synopsis: Barely 22, Franz Klammer finds himself at the "eye of the storm" when he shows up for the men's downhill competition at the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. More Memorable Moments. Their finish line embrace at Patscherkofel in 1976 was heartfelt and forged a bond between the two rivals each Olympic downhill champions. Franz Klammer won the Downhill skiing event in 4 consecutive World Cup seasons from 1975 to 1978. Racing skis had changed appreciably. ", In a 2015 interview with Graham Bell for the Daily Telegraph, Klammer attributed his success to being the first downhiller to carve a whole turn from start to finish, contrasting his style with skiers of the previous generation such as Karl Schranz and Jean-Claude Killy who would skid at the start of a turn before engaging in a carve. To learn more, please visit www.franzweber.com Show. Hermann Maiers nickname, the Herminator, was inspired at the 1998 Games by the. For Eva, they went with a young actress from Vienna, Valerie Huber. 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. I had to look into it is there even a movie there? he said. The greatest downhill run of ALL Time! In fact, the course contributed to new technology in ski construction, ultimately leading to the parabolic shaped skis now used by most recreational skiers. I remember watching it live on TV as a kid and it was an electrifying performance. Several times he sailed through the air with arms flailing and skis askew, but he always. I was amused later to discover that I was the only skier who dared to take that line. They recreated the old start house, put up old course fencing and built a finish area complete with banners and fans in period clothing. Ive never seen so much pressure put on one man my entire life, opined ABCs Bob Beattie. He also called other sports. ago I remember being a kid seeing this live and thinking how close to death he pushed himself. Her last victoryin the Olympic downhill at Lake Placid in 1980was particularly emotional and a great story, too. He showed me plenty of tricks and we had so much fun, she told me afterwards as we sat down to enjoy hot chocolate and cakes. 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 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. [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]. A dozen years earlier on the same course in 1964, Egon Zimmermann posted a 2:18.16 to win the gold medal. I asked my father and he said \"i have it somewhere on one of my old VHS tapes im sure of it\" and we did a long extensive search and found it! A season earlier in 1974-75, he won an unprecedented eight World Cup downhills. Amazingly, the victory comes eight years after his Olympic Games victory in Innsbruck. At the finish line, Franz Klammer started by looking at the huge crowd. In an interview before the Games, La Bomba told the press that his dad, Franco, might buy him a Ferrari if he clinched two gold medals in Canadaa mission he accomplished by winning the slalom and the GS. Jean-Claude Killy. He was from Carinthia, the right age, almost the right build, he won a couple of ski races when he was a boy. He was two-tenths of a second behind Russi. I mean, I had to come off some of the rollers, the knolls, on the tails, flying up in the air, arms out you know, just out of control, going through the pine boughs, cutting back straight to a gate, towards a fence and then redirect that. Hermann Maier. Rather than retire, he worked long and hard at a comeback. Options: Reply Quote Re: Where to find Franz Klammer 1976 Innsbruck downhill video? Five World Cup downhill crystal globes (most ever for men). And, it needed a bit of a love story. Schmied literally grew up with the Klammer legend. If there . But I knew I had to risk everything. Its world champion Daron Rahlves. I had seen in training that a few skiers, including Ken Read of Canada, had tested a straighter yet very risky line there. Required fields are marked *. I also told Ryan about that funny nickname and Maiers comment. Franz Klammer, (born Dec. 3, 1953, Mooswald, Austria), Austrian Alpine skier who specialized in the downhill event, winning 25 World Cup downhill races in his career. 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. However, the Swiss . He would be the last of the real contenders to go off, an advantage in that he would know what time was needed, but a disadvantage because of the damage done to the course by the first 14 skiers. When I started, the course was basically ruined and I knew I had only a small chance to win, he said. Four Hahnenkamm downhill titles (only Didier Cuche has more, with five). All I could find on Youtube was dodgy edited versions showing only half of the run, parts in slow motion or snippets that just frustrate the hell out of you. Eight years after Sapporo, La Proell had enjoyed a superb revenge. Franzs wife said, no, sorry, that is not a story.. He was able to hold his line on a difficult course, while established speed specialists struggled. Entering the 1976 Winter Olympics, the 22-year-old Klammer was the favourite to take the gold medal in the downhill at Innsbruck in his native Austria. He nearly went down on the first curve, but saved it on one ski. His yellow racing suit wasnt as crisp and flashy as the other golden Austrian uniforms. Franz Klammer of Austria. 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. I think that was one of my strengths just to improvise.. 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. When I told my mother that Im doing this film, she said all these memories came up. Above: Maier on the GS course in Nagano. I was kicking in her belly because my mother was so excited the whole time.. 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 . This is where most biopics fail. Franz Klammer, sterreichischer Skirennlufer und Olympiasieger. The next day, Tomba finished a strong second in a slalom dominated by Norways Finn Jagge. Ortlieb takes flight over the mens downhill course on his way to winning gold at Albertville. Curling. Few past stars of ski sport command attention today like Franz Klammer. At 1.35 is when he takes a line that no other skier dared to on the day and that is to cut harder left, slingshotting him forward faster. [1] He spent 13 seasons on the World Cup circuit, from December 1972 to March 1985. So his knowledge bank on Klammer comes from the legend and from the longstanding friendship hes had with him. February 18 [] 3. 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. Sport Skiing Country Austria Born December 03, 1953 Joined academy 2000 Its like Hermann Maier for me his program was at such a high level and he had everything taken care of for him. Downhill courses are the monsters of alpine skiing: 9,000-foot-long beasts with steep pitches that combine to build tremendous speed. Bib number 15 moved into the starting gate atop Patscherkofel, high above the Tyrolean village of Innsbruck. Franz Klammer has a height of 6'0" (1.83 m). Hes quick to talk about stars of the sport like Alberto Tomba, Hermann Maier and Bode Miller. Franz Klammer won only one Olympic medal, but that was the one that mattered - at Innsbruck in 1976. While Klammer had been consistent in his success on the skis, Fischer and his team had innovated a new product. To fully understand Annemaries crowning achievement, its important to look back at the 1972 Olympics at Sapporo, Japan. 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