My mother put me on skis when I was two years old, reminisced Klammer. 1- 1980 USA vs USSR Olympic Hockey Game. After his victories, Alberto told me hed be pleased to watch East Germanys attractive superstar Katarina Witt competing at the ice arena in Calgary. I remember watching that gold medal run. 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. Do you feel like you've ever designed a downhill course that was too dangerous? Like Muhammad Ali for boxing, Wayne Gretzky for ice hockey or Tiger Woods for golf. He approached me to ask if I had a concept on how to make a film about Franz Klammer, said Pochlatko. Franz Klammer, a former champion alpine ski racer, has a net worth of $45 million. He met fans who vividly re-lived their own experiences of Feb. 5, 1976. Franz Klammer won only one Olympic medal, but that was the one that mattered - at Innsbruck in 1976. To fully understand Annemaries crowning achievement, its important to look back at the 1972 Olympics at Sapporo, Japan. We said that the best film, as far as our research goes, is simply behind the scenes at the Olympics.. 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. So, the necessary conflict was born. Franz was getting treated like a king coming into that race, said Rahlves. He would win on skiings toughest downhill course, Kitzbuhel, an incredible four times. Another surprise was revealed later when my father, World Cup founder Serge Lang, intrigued by Patricks last name, discovered that he was a double national: Austrian, as he was born in that country from an Austrian mother, but also French through his dad, a cook from Alsace, who had emigrated to Lech to work, raise a family and run the Montana Hotel there. They were at my grandparents (house) and they watched the race with the neighbors. When I went out of the starting gate, I knew I was going to win that race, said Klammer. 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. Klammer, age 19, followed this up with a third at St. Moritz and a third in the giant slalom at Mont Sainte-Anne (the only time he finished on the podium in a World Cup Giant Slalom in his career). He was the overwhelming favorite for Gold with the home crowd there to watch. Franz legendary race was one month before I was born, he said. This one was different. 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. He suffered disappointment at the Sarajevo Games in 1984 with 10th place, and competed for the last time in March 1985 at Aspen with a World Cup record of 26 wins, 45 podiums and 87 top 10 places. Enter 22-year old Franz Klammer. The next day, Katarina showed up on time with her gear, which Albertos personal bodyguard carried up to the hill. Klammer came into the 1976 Olympics with three straight World Cup downhill wins and back-to-back Hahnenkamm titles. 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. So heres the real deal! 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 . He watches every ski race men and women. Four Hahnenkamm downhill titles (only Didier Cuche has more, with five). Ive never seen so much pressure put on one man my entire life, opined ABCs Bob Beattie. 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 His home village did not have any ski lifts, so as a child he climbed up the pasture behind his house to ski downhill. I am not a skiing fan. He didnt and he won the gold medal. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. And the Olympics were returning to the Alps after a sojourn to Sapporo in 1972. Required fields are marked *. 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. Moser-Proell had won three events, including a downhill, yet she had not been charging as hard as usual. 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. TRY A 1-YR INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP IN ISHA! 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! [1], In an interview with Tom Brokaw that aired on NBC on 13 February 2010, as part of their 2010 Winter Olympics coverage, American Olympian Bode Miller cited Klammer's style and approach to ski racing as a major source of inspiration for him. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. 2 Years of Sipping Sports A Sip of Sports. I always had this feeling in the starting gate. Kids watch Olympic curling for the first time Kids Call. Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78). Chasing the Line, it would have been easy to simply pull archival footage to build a documentary story. It was a little intimidation factor for the others. Fischer, who passed in 2020 at the age of 90, had been known as a hard-driving, innovative ski industry leader. His rival, Russi, drew number 3 the optimum start position given weather conditions. 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. 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. 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. Championships in Schladming in February 2013. Don't forget this was 1976. Bill Johnson was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 30, 1960, and moved with his family to Boise, Idaho, when he was seven.He learned to ski at Bogus Basin in the late 1960s. Four years later, they met for dinner and a private ski lesson. Your email address will not be published. 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. Game 6 of the 1975 World Series Reds v. Red Sox 4. I went all the way up to the top. In the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, the stakes rose. Chasing the Line is a film about Klammer, it is also a portrayal of skiing, as a sport. It was an interesting way to showcase his biggest victory. He won his first aged only 19 in 1973 and including four victories in the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuhel. But, with Eva, it was immediate. Franz Klammer has a height of 6'0" (1.83 m). At the last Olympics in Nagano, after a five-day delay, Trinkl was the only Austrian to win a medal in the downhill. At the finish line, Franz Klammer started by looking at the huge crowd. Enjoy!! If anybody could do it, its for sure Hermann, I explained with great optimism. 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. 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. In 1975 he had dominated the event in a fashion never seen before by winning 8 out of the nine downhill races of the season. 1 mo. [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]. After that, he was known as The Herminator. 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. I also told Ryan about that funny nickname and Maiers comment. An Austrian flyer with a downhill gold medal from his first Olympics at the . Its world champion Daron Rahlves. 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. After his fourth consecutive season title in downhill in 1978, he began a prolonged slump until the end of the 1981 season. In 1975 and 1976 he was the best downhill skier in the world. So his knowledge bank on Klammer comes from the legend and from the longstanding friendship hes had with him. He won the gold medal in the downhill event at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. 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. The FULL unedited original legendary run of. Others had tried to make a film about Franz Klammer for quite some time and nobody quite got it correct. The 1974-75 winter was practically perfect for Kaiser . A season earlier in 1974-75, he won an unprecedented eight World Cup downhills. He just went down the straight line which normally everybody said its just impossible, you cant stand this. Innsbruck 1976 | Olympic Winter games. The other favorites were not as gutsy or crazy. But she was always a huge support from the beginning, sitting always in the background and just being there. I knew that Franz Klammer his victory and his legend basically would be enough to sell the movie on his name and this emotional story. He just did it!. He was two-tenths of a second behind Russi. In bib no. Ill never forget how we all erupted when he crossed the finish line. Nobody had ever had a string of victories like that. But it lacked an antagonist someone to create tension. Amazingly, the victory comes eight years after his Olympic Games victory in Innsbruck. He is not only legendary as a skier, hes just a very great person.. 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. In 1975 and 1976 he was the best downhill skier in the world. The Austrian had become a hero in his country after having won a dozen downhill races in previous seasons. Italy's Gustav Thni defeated Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark in the finals and won his fourth overall title in five years. definitely," said the 1976 Olympic champion, whose name is still synonymous with the glamour and danger of Alpine ski . In an interview with Austrian television in 2006, the 52-year-old Klammer was asked about his greatest achievement. To understand the 1976 Olympic downhill, you need to look back a few years in time. 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. Is she also French? I asked him at the 2013 World Cup season start at Soelden. 1,154,848 views Dec 13, 2018 Finally!! That honor went to a little-known Austrian from Lech, Patrick Ortlieb, who had never won a major event. Associated Press Russi calls the race, which was featured in the recently released film "Chasing the Line,". I said to myself, Franz, now you have to do something because youre going to lose, he said. I had to ski out of control and make these little mistakes everywhere. He had a few interesting moments, skis up against the old picket fence, but never any really close calls. Viewers will find a film filled with suspense and an endearing love story. I think that gave him the extra kick, there was something in the air, he could not lose that race, no way. 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. 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. The love story proved to be a real one, focusing on the role of Klammers now wife of 42 years, Eva. Franz Klammer was Sportsman of the Year in Austria three times: 1975, 1976 and 1983.. As the lowest seed in 15th position, his task of bringing home . A dozen years earlier on the same course in 1964, Egon Zimmermann posted a 2:18.16 to win the gold medal. Their finish line embrace at Patscherkofel in 1976 was heartfelt and forged a bond between the two rivals each Olympic downhill champions. Andreas dug into the story with his wife Elisabeth, a former journalist who is now a screenwriter and novelist. He is a member of the Skiing History magazine editorial board. If there . Rahlves wasnt even three years old when Klammer won gold. 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. I had to look into it is there even a movie there? he said. Russi was beaten by 33 hundredths of a second. I made a huge jump and thought I would crash, yet I managed to survive and land on my skis. Hes one of the very few persons who seemed to do everything right. The Austrian set an impressive record of 62 victories and 115 podium finishes on the World Cup tour in only 175 competitions. The story of Franz Klammer is the story of ski racing in Carinthia. [4], Immediately after his retirement from alpine competition, Klammer took up motor racing, and was soon involved in touring car racing, driving Mercedes-Benz saloons all over Europe and racing professionally as far away as Australia. The Austrian nation would accept nothing short of a Gold as they hosted the World. 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. She may soon compete on the World Cup tour. The risk was too great and the snow was wrong. Klammer said. Every 4 years at the Winter Olympics, the premier event is the mens downhill. Here the Austrians and Swiss pit their best. Background Born into a farming family in Mooswald, community Fresach, Carinthia, in 1953. Klammer abandoned the acknowledged optimum track and chased a line that had never been skied on Patscherkofel. Hermann Maiers nickname, the Herminator, was inspired at the 1998 Games by the. They were excited and I knew I won it. He won for the nation, for every Austrian skier. Rather than retire, he worked long and hard at a comeback. And then I came down. Bernhard and I, we are really close friends and appreciate each others company. He could really win in this kind of Klammer style. [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. When casting ski racing doubles for Klammer, Salmina turned to his longtime friend Rahlves. Franz Klammer is one of the all-time legendsof skiing. He was a very legendary skier, said Mayer, the son of Helmut Mayer, the 1988 Olympic super-G silver medalist in Nakiska. Behind that, though, is a true love story that contributed to his athletic success. We enjoyed watching Katarina claim her second Olympic title after a brilliant show. Austrian great Franz Klammer says the winner of the men's downhill in . In 1984, Klammer won the downhill at Kitzbhel (Hahnenkammrennen) a record fourth time, after three consecutive wins 1975-1977. In 1974, he took home World Championship gold in combined at St. Moritz, silver in downhill. For days everyone talked about that thrilling ski run. The story of a day like no other We would be right to consider him the greatest downhill skier of all time. I was amused later to discover that I was the only skier who dared to take that line. 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