We go for a beer and some nice talks, said Mayer. Franz Klammer won only one Olympic medal, but that was the one that mattered - at Innsbruck in 1976. 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. Austrian great Franz Klammer says the winner of the men's downhill in . But Pepi Fischer wanted more. Many of the top guns failed to control their line in the tricky parts of the course. At 60, Franz Klammer remains a charismatic and ruggedly dishy figure, along Liam Neeson lines. The Olympic Games were in Innsbruck, Austria and there was tremendous pressure on Klammer to win the gold medal. It will premiere Oct. 26 in Villach, Austria, near Klammers childhood home of Mooswald. The media were omnipresent. The Klammer story was, well, pretty perfect. After his victories, Alberto told me hed be pleased to watch East Germanys attractive superstar Katarina Witt competing at the ice arena in Calgary. After beating Collombin and Russi at Schladming in December 1973 under terrible conditions, Collombin bested him at Garmisch, Avoriaz and Wengen. 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 . Franz Klammer records his fourth victory on the famed Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuhel, Austria. Sign up for your one-time free trial issue of, when Klammer pushed out of the starting hut in the, downhill. Klammer won the World Cup downhill title five times: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1983 twice more than the next best downhiller. Note: I don't have a model release for this subject We discuss out recent trip to Innsbruck, Austria along with Patricia Frommer (Frommers.com, Frommer Guides) who adds her perspective. But it lacked an antagonist someone to create tension. [citation needed]. In many ways, Klammer was an unlikely champion. Kids act as sportscasters while watching Franz Klammer's performance at the Olympic Winter Games Insbruck 1976. . Just past halfway he nearly went off the course, but he kept picking up speed, reaching near 80 miles per hour at the bottom of the course. 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. In the end Klammer decided to use his old skis. And she says, well, what are you doing? I said, well, Im skiing. Are you winning something? she says. 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. The antagonist role was cast with Fischer Skis owner Josef Pepi Fischer, the second-generation owner of the famed Austrian ski company. To shoot the film, producers literally took over Patscherkofel, taking the revered race course back in time. Your email address will not be published. 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. In a statement released by NBC News on Sunday, his family said Gifford died suddenly at his Connecticut home of. The FULL unedited original legendary run of Franz Klammer at the 1976 Innsbruck Olymps! I spoke about it with ABC studio producer Draggan Mihailovich, a Tomba fan, who organized the journey. And so this was, for me, the spark that lit the project. They also required more feeling from the racers, who needed to steer them continuously from the entrance to the exit of each turn. 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. Russi traced a new type of downhill that required great technical skills from athletes and a high level of performance from their skis. [1] He spent 13 seasons on the World Cup circuit, from December 1972 to March 1985. Klammer had seen many film proposals over the years, but they all hit hurdles. In 1974, he took home World Championship gold in combined at St. Moritz, silver in downhill. He would also have to live with personal challenges. Two-time world champion and former alpine ski racer who dominated the four consecutive seasons of the World Cup in the downhill event, Standing aloof as the extraordinary defining rider in an alpine ski Franz Klammer protrudes among those alpine ski heroes. Whether I win it or crash, there was nothing in between. 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. The steep and sinuous La Face course at Val dIsre, France, which was built in the late 1980s by Switzerlands Bernhard Russi, the 1972 mens downhill Olympic champion, launched an unexpected revolution in the sport. Add to that his status as the greatest downhill skier in history, and the annual ski day he hosts in . 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). So she really had no clue who I was.. A Silver was not an option to the Austrians, especially to lose on their home field against their most important rival. Schmied, now a principal in Samsara Filmproduction, had previously produced five feature films in Austria. School playgrounds were quiet and the capital of Vienna was empty. But the skating star didnt meet Alberto afterwards. Klammer seemed doomed. Rather than retire, he worked long and hard at a comeback. To understand the 1976 Olympic downhill, you need to look back a few years in time. For days everyone talked about that thrilling ski run. Posted by: Dennis S Date: July 21, 2021 08:34PM Frank Gifford called the race for ABC. More Memorable Moments. I think that was one of my strengths just to improvise.. 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. 1- 1980 USA vs USSR Olympic Hockey Game. Don't forget this was 1976. I remember watching that gold medal run. ^ Klammer was an alternate on the 1980 team and did not compete. 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. 14/11/2009 LICENCE: Creative Commons. Seen here at Inghams 'Discovery Day' celebrating their 75th Anniversary at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon. Sporting Legends. 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.. I've won so many things, without the Olympic title it would have been a good career, but not a great career. The Olympic Games plus the FIS World Championships, Franz Klammer was also crowned World Champion on that day. 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. Innsbruck 1976 | Olympic Winter games. It was a little intimidation factor for the others. 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. She fought for her rights, yet lost focus and energy during the intense political battle. But repeated attempts have failed. Even his coaches were tense. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. Berlin-based Picturetree International is managing global distribution. 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. He was always going for the victory. [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. 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. 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. 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. It was always a big goal for me to be like Franz Klammer. Klammer won every downhill in the 1975 season, except Megve, where one of his skis came off. Sep 26, 2013 - This is nearly the entire Franz Klammer Gold Medal Run from the Innsbruck Winter Olympics of 1976. As a sportscaster Mr. Beattie was renowned for his call, with Frank Gifford, of the Austrian Franz Klammer's gold medal-winning downhill race at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck,. Her last victoryin the Olympic downhill at Lake Placid in 1980was particularly emotional and a great story, too. 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. Franz Klammer is an Austrian former Alpine ski racer known for dominating the Downhill skiing discipline. 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). We all just knew he was going to crash. Nobody had ever had a string of victories like that. The first choice to play the role of Franz was Julian Waldner. Klammer came into the 1976 Olympics with three straight World Cup downhill wins and back-to-back Hahnenkamm titles. [citation needed] He was the defending World Cup downhill champion and had won the three previous downhills in January at Wengen, Morzine and Kitzbhel, and also the previous year's race on the same Patscherkofel course. Then came the biggest blow. He won the famous (and notorious) Hahnenkamm downhill four times. And still, he does everything right! Klammer spoke for all skiers in one of the final scenes. It was a really fun course with all the elements of a good downhill, said Rahlves. 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. Klammer, along with fellow Carinthia natives Fritz Strobl and Matthias Mayer, form a unique trio of Olympic downhill champions more than any other Austrian state, even the Tyrol. Setting off in bib no. So I changed the line completely. Klammer's 1:45.73 was more than thirty-two seconds faster. Legend has it that at the top just before Franz left the starting gate he asked the timing official What do I need to do to win? and the guy responded Kill Yourself. This can only be described as a Kamikaze run on the edge of suicide. So heres the real deal! They start for the love of the sport. The legendary skier Franz Klammer. 15, a yellow suit, red shoes and a red helmet with a white stripe, Klammer set off to shouting from the crowd. 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. He was on the edge the entire trip down the hill, several times he looked like he was out of control and going to wreck. Frank Gifford who passed away yesterday at the age of 84 was known most as a Hall of Fame football player and the play-by-play man on Monday Night Football. I think it is the most exciting Olympics event I've ever seen. 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. 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. The pressure on the young farm boy from Mooswald was immense. 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. Is she also French? I asked him at the 2013 World Cup season start at Soelden. The Austrian set an impressive record of 62 victories and 115 podium finishes on the World Cup tour in only 175 competitions. No problem, lets meet tomorrow afternoon, he said. A veteran journalist on the world alpine racing circuit recallsmoments of high dramaand humorfrom the Winter Games. Required fields are marked *. Schmied literally grew up with the Klammer legend. Franz Klammer recalls, By the time I walked into the starting gate, I knew I am going to win. As I approached it, I made a last-second decision to go for it instead of following my usual rounder line. Russi vividly recalls the long wait in the finish and the momentum of the crowd that carried Franz Klammer to victory. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. Only a few months later, Franz told me how he managed to clinch that title after his fantastic run. Christian Kresse, the tourism chief for the state of Carinthia, wanted to change that and to bring Klammers story to the screen a process that began nearly eight years earlier. Rahlves, too, is in a fascinating place in Austrian ski history. Old School. Like Muhammad Ali for boxing, Wayne Gretzky for ice hockey or Tiger Woods for golf. Klammer would go on to have an unprecedented career. He didnt grow up in the shadow of the towering Tyrolean Alps. And what are you doing? Im studying medicine. And that was all we talked about. Lineage: Original Scotch VHS 3Hr (1980) SP- Panasonic NVHS-960 SVHS (Gold edition - Mint) - SVIDEO lead - Canopus ADVC300 - Firewire - PC /w/ Sony Vegas with Neatvideo plugin - TMPGENC (Deint - 50fps mp4 3000bitrate) Youtube. 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. Klammer and Strobl became lifelong friends, sharing a hunting lodge in late September before the films debut in Zurich. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I really admired him his style, his way of skiing, Klammer said about Miller. It wasnt a scene of parties and fame, just a quiet ride into the sunset after the much-anticipated race. In fact, the course contributed to new technology in ski construction, ultimately leading to the parabolic shaped skis now used by most recreational skiers. 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. 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. 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.. The greatest downhill run of ALL Time! In bib no. 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. 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. It was an interesting way to showcase his biggest victory. Many still call it the greatest downhill of all time. Olymipc downhill champion 1976 (Innsbruck). . But I felt, you know, they were really pushing me., Passing the finish tape, the time showed 1:45.73. The project really came to us with a big burden, said Schmied, echoing Pochlatkos concerns. I cant believe it, he has been amazing! Stewart said. He won a fourth in 1984, at the age of 30. Patrick Ortliebs win was the first surprise of the mens Olympics events at Val dIsre, yet he confirmed his success in the following seasons with significant triumphs on the World Cup tour, including winning the legendary Hahnenkamm race at Kitzbhel. And there is this one teacher who says, follow your dreams, or whatever. I made a huge jump and thought I would crash, yet I managed to survive and land on my skis. He was adorable. 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. And, once again, Rahlves found himself on page one of the local Tiroler Tageszeitung. 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. Klammer dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78). He could really win in this kind of Klammer style. Right: Schwarzenegger and Maierat the FIS Alpine WorldChampionships in Schladming in February 2013. Like most Austrians, he had a special place in his heart for Franz Klammer. 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 final event was a parallel slalom and Klammer lost in the first round. In an interview with Austrian television in 2006, the 52-year-old Klammer was asked about his greatest achievement. He remains the king of the downhill, the most successful skier of anyone in his discipline in the World Cup. 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. And his new girlfriend, Eva, was back home at college in Vienna. I think that gave him the extra kick, there was something in the air, he could not lose that race, no way. He just did it!. At the end of the race he was going so fast that you could see a difference from the previous skiers. Challenge in hand, Pochlatko took the film concept to director and screenwriter Andreas Schmied of Samsara Filmproduktion. 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