Originals 01:52. 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. Sep 26, 2013 - This is nearly the entire Franz Klammer Gold Medal Run from the Innsbruck Winter Olympics of 1976. Alongside the ski track outside Innsbruck, 60,000 fans lined the piste. It turned out that powerful skiers could exit the turns with amazing acceleration, a situation that caused some spectacular crashes. So heres the real deal! 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. 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. Witt was exhausted but happy about her exclusive ski lesson. 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. 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. It was a huge achievement, as there was so much pressure on him prior to that Olympic race. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Austrian downhill-skiing star Franz Klammer won 25 races on the World Cup circuit. At the end of the race he was going so fast that you could see a difference from the previous skiers. 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 . 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. After his victories, Alberto told me hed be pleased to watch East Germanys attractive superstar Katarina Witt competing at the ice arena in Calgary. Im a passionate skier myself. And then I knew immediately that ski racing would be my life.. And it meant 100% commitment. He remains the king of the downhill, the most successful skier of anyone in his discipline in the World Cup. Heres the scorecard: 25 World Cup downhill wins the most by any man in history (Stephan Eberharter has 18). He did all the action shots, said Schmied. What happened next was the creation of a legend. At his peak (Wengen 1976 to Wengen 1977), Klammer won ten consecutive downhills, including the pressure-laden win at the 1976 Olympics. What the hell. Nobody was doing anything. But she was always a huge support from the beginning, sitting always in the background and just being there. Five World Cup downhill crystal globes (most ever for men). Enter 22-year old Franz Klammer. His formidable appearance, his determination on the slopes, and his numerous victories in the weeks prior to his trip to Japan had led reporters to use rougher nicknames, like The Beast, which Maier didnt like at all. I think it put him at a higher level, too, with his own confidence. Add to that his status as the greatest downhill skier in history, and the annual ski day he hosts in . After beating Collombin and Russi at Schladming in December 1973 under terrible conditions, Collombin bested him at Garmisch, Avoriaz and Wengen. He became famous in 1998 after clinching two Olympic gold medalsin Super G and GSat Nagano despite a horrific crash in downhill. 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. And Klammer was winning big on its C4 skis. When I told my mother that Im doing this film, she said all these memories came up. Their story was truly one for the big screen. [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. Jan. 01, 1977 - Franz Klammer the 'winner' 5 th downhill - race of Stock Photo, Royalty Free Image: 69487594 - Alamy . The pressure intensified again when Klammer drew the 15th spot for his Olympic run. We enjoyed watching Katarina claim her second Olympic title after a brilliant show. The preceding ski season had been terrific, too, as big crowds closely followed Italys unpredictable phenomenon Alberto Tomba, who was dominating the World Cup that season with six victories and a second place standing in the technical events. I remember, after he won, we all went outside and played like we were Franz Klammer!. His career total is 26 downhill wins: 25 World Cup and 1 Olympic. I spoke about it with ABC studio producer Draggan Mihailovich, a Tomba fan, who organized the journey. The course was rougher when a nervous Klammer pushed himself out of the starting hut. Russi was beaten by 33 hundredths of a second. 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! Books with references and insights into Franz Klammer's career: "White Circus" by Ken Read/Matthew Fisher, "On the Edge" by Currie Chapman/Randy Starkman, This page was last edited on 20 October 2022, at 22:30. 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. Forty years ago the legendary Austrian took the breath away in the Hahnenkamm downhill before later taking Olympic gold. 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 would win on skiings toughest downhill course, Kitzbuhel, an incredible four times. However, the Swiss . The young Austrian Franz Klammer is considered undoubtedly the favourite for the 1976 Olympic downhill race in Innsbruck. 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. No problem, lets meet tomorrow afternoon, he said. 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. Russi vividly recalls the long wait in the finish and the momentum of the crowd that carried Franz Klammer to victory. 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. In 1975 and 1976 he was the best downhill skier in the world. Really the whole mountain was shaking when Franz came down, he recalls. During the call, he also invited Maier to visit him next spring in Los Angeles. Andreas and Elisabeth Schied found both. He was a troubled youth who began competitive skiing on nearby Mount . He won 8 of 9 during the 1975 season and also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills. Rahlves got his own revenge, of sorts, just two months later when he opened the World Championships in St. Anton with a super-G victory ahead of Austrias Stephan Eberharter and Maier a day that stopped the world in the hearts of Austrian ski racing fans. Kids watch Olympic curling for the first time Kids Call. Pochlatko tracked down the director to talk about his engagement in telling Franz story. School playgrounds were quiet and the capital of Vienna was empty. There are no products in your shopping cart. Chasing the Line. They shared an embrace, some laughs and watched a film that showcased the sport that formed the DNA of their lives on snow. Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78). 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. He was able to hold his line on a difficult course, while established speed specialists struggled. And, it needed a bit of a love story. The legendary skier Franz Klammer. 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. Its in the hearts and minds of Austrians its still there. They were excited and I knew I won it. Franz is a testimonial for skiing, said Kresse. Interestingly, none of the well-known technicians on the tour, like multiple overall World Cup champion Marc Girardelli or local favorite Franck Piccard, the 1988 Super G Olympic champion, clocked the fastest downhill time on race day. Schmied literally grew up with the Klammer legend. Sport Skiing Country Austria Born December 03, 1953 Joined academy 2000 Klammer came into the 1976 Olympics with three straight World Cup downhill wins and back-to-back Hahnenkamm titles. I was fourteen and was at a friends house. Didier Cuche won his fifth Hahnenkamm last January. I knew that Daron understood how Klammer was skiing, said Salmina. So his knowledge bank on Klammer comes from the legend and from the longstanding friendship hes had with him. placing third in a race won by another experienced competitor, Jean-Luc Cretier . For nearly a half-century, the story of the country boy finding gold has begged for the silver screen. The Swiss favorite came in third this time, behind Moser-Proell and silver medalist Hanni Wenzel, who took gold in slalom and GS. Right: Schwarzenegger and Maier. Franz Klammer 1976 Innsbruck - The Greatest Downhill Run of All Time - FULL UNEDITED!! In fact, the course contributed to new technology in ski construction, ultimately leading to the parabolic shaped skis now used by most recreational skiers. At the World Championships from 1954 through 1980, the combined was a "paper race" using the results of the three events (DH, GS, SL). 15, a yellow suit, red shoes and a red helmet with a white stripe, Klammer set off to shouting from the crowd. I cant believe it, he has been amazing! Stewart said. His technique over an icy slope, his jumping skills and his ability to find incredible race lines remain absolutely unique. Everyone got nervous after defending Olympic champion Bernhard Russi from Switzerland set the best time after a nearly flawless run. And it was not on Youtube in full?? You grow up with it., The most important week in my life! A dozen years earlier on the same course in 1964, Egon Zimmermann posted a 2:18.16 to win the gold medal. Two Olympic gold medalsin Super G and GSat Nagano despite a horrific in. 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