Moreover, he won gold at the 1976 Winter Olympics in. Įgon Zimmermann, also of Austria, took the gold medal a dozen years earlier in the 1964 Olympic downhill. Klammer has dominated the downhill event in four consecutive World Cup Seasons from 1975 to 1978. The Austrian had become a hero in his country. It was a huge achievement, as there was so much pressure on him prior to that Olympic race. Behind at the last timing interval, Klammer finished at 1:45.73, an average speed of and vertical descent rate of. If theres one moment, however, that defines Klammers career, it is his spectacular, gold-medal-winning run at the 1976 Olympics in his own backyard at. Franz Klammer produced one of the most thrilling moments in alpine racing history with his reckless gold-medal run on the treacherous Patscherkofel downhill course at Innsbruck, Austria in February 1976. The course had a vertical drop of and started at, well below the mountain's summit. Ski legend Franz Klammer of Austria, then age 22, won his Olympic gold medal at Patscherkofel, dramatically edging out defending Olympic champion Bernhard Russi of Switzerland by 0.33 seconds in the 1976 Downhill. Franz Klammer Olympic Downhill, Innsbruck, 1976 Prior to this run, if you had asked anyone with even a casual interest in skiing to describe a ski racer. The other five alpine skiing events were held at Axamer Lizum. Winter Olympicsĭuring both the 19 Winter Olympics, the mountain was the venue for the men's downhill race, along with the bobsleigh and luge competitions in neighboring Igls. Acid brown earth, podzolized brown earth and iron-humus podzol are the dominant soil types. Calcium-rich bedrock such as basalt, chalk and dolomite also occurs but is too scarce to have much influence on the soils of this severely glaciated mountain.
of a career included 25 World Cup downhill wins as well as the 1976 Olympic Gold. Val dIsere was the site for the mens downhill race (if youre good, try skiing the.
Quartz phyllite is the dominant bedrock, with gneiss and feldspar at the peak. Austrias venerable champion, Franz Klammer, once called the upstart a. In France, the 16th Winter Olympics took place in Albertville in 1992. of fast disciplines, the former Olympic and World champion in the downhill. The town of Igls at its northwest base is at, a vertical drop of. Franz Klammer World Cup Run, allows for a ride length of 4,100 m with a. The peak rises to a summit elevation of above sea level. Patscherkofel is a mountain and ski area in the Alps, in Tyrol in western Austria, 7 km (4 mi.) south of Innsbruck. He tried to turn left on an icy bend during his downhill run at the 1998 Winter Games, but his skis didnt catch the snow and his body flew off the course.