fbpx
Wikipedia

Toni Sailer

April 12, 2024

Anton Engelbert "Toni" Sailer (17 November 1935 – 24 August 2009) was an Austrian alpine ski racer, considered among the best in the sport. At age 20, he won all three gold medals in alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics.[2][3] He nearly duplicated the feat at the 1958 World Championships with two golds and a silver.[4] He also won world titles both years in the combined, then a "paper" race, but awarded with medals by the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Toni Sailer
Sailer in 1956
Personal information
Born(1935-11-17)17 November 1935
Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria
Died24 August 2009(2009-08-24) (aged 73)
Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
OccupationAlpine skier
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Skiing career
DisciplinesDownhill, giant slalom,
slalom, combined
ClubKitzbühel Ski Club[1]
Retired1959 (age 23)
Olympics
Teams1 – (1956)
Medals3 (3 gold)
World Championships
Teams3 – (1954, 1956, 1958)
Medals8 (7 gold)
Medal record

Career edit

Born and raised in Kitzbühel in Tyrol, Sailer was nicknamed "Blitz from Kitz" (Blitz = German word for "bolt of lightning" or "flash").[3] A phenomenon as a teenager, he won the downhill and combined at the Grand Prix at Megève in 1952 at age 16. A broken leg caused him to miss the 1953 season and kept him from performing well at the World Championships in 1954.[5] He returned to championship form in 1955 at age 19 and the following year became the first to win all three alpine skiing events at the Olympics, taking gold in the downhill, slalom, and giant slalom by 3.5, 4.2 and 6.2 seconds, respectively.[1][6] He was the fifth athlete to win three gold medals in the same Olympic games, and became the most successful athlete at the 1956 Winter Olympics. The Super-G event did not exist until the 1980s. It was added to the Olympics in 1988. Through 2014, Sailer remains the youngest male gold medalist in Olympic alpine skiing.

From 1948 through 1980, Olympic alpine ski events doubled as the FIS World Championships, therefore the Olympic champion in any event was also the world champion. The combined event was dropped after 1948 to make way for the giant slalom in 1950. No Olympic medals were awarded for the combined event from 1952 through 1984, but it was an FIS world championship from 1954 through 1980. During this era, it was conducted as a "paper" race, using the results of the three events. A stand-alone combined event returned to the world championships in 1982 and to the Olympics in 1988, with one run of downhill and two runs of slalom.

Two years after the 1956 Olympics, Sailer won three gold medals and one silver at the 1958 World Championships in Bad Gastein, Austria. He won five of six possible Olympic/World Championship races, missing a perfect record with a silver in the Bad Gastein slalom, seven-tenths of a second back. Sailer also repeated as champion in the combined for a seventh world title in two years. Due to controversy over his amateur status after receiving compensation for acting (and skiing) in movies, he retired from ski racing competition in 1959.[7][8]

After racing edit

 
Toni Sailer in front of his house in Kitzbühel, 1998

Sailer's business interests included ski clothing and equipment, including the first successful fiberglass skis, made in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[8][9] In 1957–71, he appeared in a handful of movies, most of them shallow comedies at least partly set in alpine regions, with Sailer showing off his talent. In 1972–76, he was chief trainer and technical director of the Austrian Skiing Association (ÖSV).[1] During the 1960s and 1970s, he ran a summer ski camp at Whistler in western Canada.[10] Occasionally, as late as 2003 he was noted for appearing in a number of TV episodes or made for TV movies.[11] He also sang professionally for a time, making 18 record albums.[12]

Sailer, although not associated with any political party, announced in January 2004 that he would run for Mayor of Kitzbühel. A few weeks later he withdrew his candidature, saying he had only now realized that being mayor was a full-time job. In 2006 he announced his retirement as chief of race of the Hahnenkamm Race, a position which he had occupied for 20 years.[13]

Honors edit

Sailer was named Austrian Sportspersonality of the year in 1956, 1957, and 1958,[14] and "Austrian Sportspersonality of the Century" in 1999. On 16 September 1958, he was featured on the cover of Bravo magazine.[15][16]

For his contribution to the Olympic Movement, the International Olympic Committee awarded him the Olympic Order in 1985.

Personal life edit

Sailer married Gaby Rummeny in 1976 in Vancouver; she died of cancer in 2000. His second marriage, to Hedwig Fischer, lasted from 2006 until his death.[3][17] His son Florian (by Rummeny) also survives him.[18]

Death edit

It was announced in January 2008 that Sailer had laryngeal cancer, for which he had been undergoing chemotherapy in the preceding months.[19] He died of cancer in Innsbruck, aged 73, in 2009, and was buried in Kitzbühel. His funeral ceremonies took place near the Hahnenkamm finish line.[20]

Selected filmography edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. . Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b Rospigliosi, William (13 February 1956). "Beau of Cortina". Sports Illustrated. p. 20.
  3. ^ a b c Litsky, Frank (26 August 2009). "Toni Sailer, record-setting gold medal skier, dies at 73". New York Times. p. A21.
  4. ^ Wernick, Robert (17 February 1958). "Bad day at Bad Gastein". Sports Illustrated. p. 40.
  5. ^ Williams, Eric (15 September 2009). "The end of an era, Toni Sailer dead at 73". Ski Racing. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  6. ^ "Toni Sailer dies at 73; Austrian skier won all 3 Alpine golds at '56 Olympics". Los Angeles Times. staff and wire reports. 26 August 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  7. ^ "Toni Sailer ranked No. 1 in skiing". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. 4 January 1959. p. 2, section 4.
  8. ^ a b Ball, Robert (21 November 1960). "Racing toward riches". Sports Illustrated. p. 50.
  9. ^ Morrill, Greg (13 February 2011). "Sailer Skis". RetroSki. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  10. ^ Verschoth, Anita (1 June 1981). "Olympic hero Toni Sailer teaches ski racing atop a canadian glacier". Sports Illustrated. p. 6.
  11. ^ Toni Sailer. IMDb
  12. ^ Toni Sailer: Olympic skiing champion of grace and power who went on to a career in films and pop music The Independent, Retrieved 20 April 2010
  13. ^ Carlson, Michael (31 August 2009). "Toni Sailer: Olympic skiing champion of grace and power who went on to a career in films and pop music". The Independent. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  14. ^ Sportswoman/man of the year in Austria-Forum (in German) (at AEIOU)
  15. ^ "BRAVO 38/58, 16.09.1958". Bravo. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  16. ^ Williams, Richard (31 August 2009). "Obituary: Toni Sailer". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  17. ^ Skilegende Toni Sailer ist tot. Tirol.orf.at (25 August 2009). Retrieved on 2015-06-02.
  18. ^ . abendzeitung.de. 25 August 2009
  19. ^ Toni Sailer hat Kehlkopfkrebs. Oe24.at (12 January 2015). Retrieved on 2015-06-02.
  20. ^ Rugh, Pete (27 August 2009). "Sailer funeral set at Hahnenkamm finish". Ski Racing. Retrieved 28 February 2014.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toni Sailer.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Austrian Sportsman of the Year
1956–1958 		Succeeded by

April 12, 2024
toni, sailer, anton, engelbert, toni, sailer, november, 1935, august, 2009, austrian, alpine, racer, considered, among, best, sport, three, gold, medals, alpine, skiing, 1956, winter, olympics, nearly, duplicated, feat, 1958, world, championships, with, golds,. Anton Engelbert Toni Sailer 17 November 1935 24 August 2009 was an Austrian alpine ski racer considered among the best in the sport At age 20 he won all three gold medals in alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics 2 3 He nearly duplicated the feat at the 1958 World Championships with two golds and a silver 4 He also won world titles both years in the combined then a paper race but awarded with medals by the International Ski Federation FIS Toni SailerSailer in 1956Personal informationBorn 1935 11 17 17 November 1935Kitzbuhel Tyrol AustriaDied24 August 2009 2009 08 24 aged 73 Innsbruck Tyrol AustriaOccupationAlpine skierHeight1 83 m 6 ft 0 in 2 Skiing careerDisciplinesDownhill giant slalom slalom combinedClubKitzbuhel Ski Club 1 Retired1959 age 23 OlympicsTeams1 1956 Medals3 3 gold World ChampionshipsTeams3 1954 1956 1958 Medals8 7 gold Medal record Men s alpine skiingRepresenting AustriaOlympic Games1956 Cortina Downhill1956 Cortina Giant slalom1956 Cortina SlalomWorld Championships1956 Cortina Downhill1956 Cortina Giant slalom1956 Cortina Slalom1956 Cortina Combined1958 Bad Gastein Downhill1958 Bad Gastein Giant slalom1958 Bad Gastein Combined1958 Bad Gastein Slalom Contents 1 Career 2 After racing 3 Honors 4 Personal life 5 Death 6 Selected filmography 7 References 8 External linksCareer editBorn and raised in Kitzbuhel in Tyrol Sailer was nicknamed Blitz from Kitz Blitz German word for bolt of lightning or flash 3 A phenomenon as a teenager he won the downhill and combined at the Grand Prix at Megeve in 1952 at age 16 A broken leg caused him to miss the 1953 season and kept him from performing well at the World Championships in 1954 5 He returned to championship form in 1955 at age 19 and the following year became the first to win all three alpine skiing events at the Olympics taking gold in the downhill slalom and giant slalom by 3 5 4 2 and 6 2 seconds respectively 1 6 He was the fifth athlete to win three gold medals in the same Olympic games and became the most successful athlete at the 1956 Winter Olympics The Super G event did not exist until the 1980s It was added to the Olympics in 1988 Through 2014 Sailer remains the youngest male gold medalist in Olympic alpine skiing From 1948 through 1980 Olympic alpine ski events doubled as the FIS World Championships therefore the Olympic champion in any event was also the world champion The combined event was dropped after 1948 to make way for the giant slalom in 1950 No Olympic medals were awarded for the combined event from 1952 through 1984 but it was an FIS world championship from 1954 through 1980 During this era it was conducted as a paper race using the results of the three events A stand alone combined event returned to the world championships in 1982 and to the Olympics in 1988 with one run of downhill and two runs of slalom Two years after the 1956 Olympics Sailer won three gold medals and one silver at the 1958 World Championships in Bad Gastein Austria He won five of six possible Olympic World Championship races missing a perfect record with a silver in the Bad Gastein slalom seven tenths of a second back Sailer also repeated as champion in the combined for a seventh world title in two years Due to controversy over his amateur status after receiving compensation for acting and skiing in movies he retired from ski racing competition in 1959 7 8 After racing edit nbsp Toni Sailer in front of his house in Kitzbuhel 1998Sailer s business interests included ski clothing and equipment including the first successful fiberglass skis made in Montreal Quebec Canada 8 9 In 1957 71 he appeared in a handful of movies most of them shallow comedies at least partly set in alpine regions with Sailer showing off his talent In 1972 76 he was chief trainer and technical director of the Austrian Skiing Association OSV 1 During the 1960s and 1970s he ran a summer ski camp at Whistler in western Canada 10 Occasionally as late as 2003 he was noted for appearing in a number of TV episodes or made for TV movies 11 He also sang professionally for a time making 18 record albums 12 Sailer although not associated with any political party announced in January 2004 that he would run for Mayor of Kitzbuhel A few weeks later he withdrew his candidature saying he had only now realized that being mayor was a full time job In 2006 he announced his retirement as chief of race of the Hahnenkamm Race a position which he had occupied for 20 years 13 Honors editSailer was named Austrian Sportspersonality of the year in 1956 1957 and 1958 14 and Austrian Sportspersonality of the Century in 1999 On 16 September 1958 he was featured on the cover of Bravo magazine 15 16 For his contribution to the Olympic Movement the International Olympic Committee awarded him the Olympic Order in 1985 Personal life editSailer married Gaby Rummeny in 1976 in Vancouver she died of cancer in 2000 His second marriage to Hedwig Fischer lasted from 2006 until his death 3 17 His son Florian by Rummeny also survives him 18 Death editIt was announced in January 2008 that Sailer had laryngeal cancer for which he had been undergoing chemotherapy in the preceding months 19 He died of cancer in Innsbruck aged 73 in 2009 and was buried in Kitzbuhel His funeral ceremonies took place near the Hahnenkamm finish line 20 Selected filmography editA Piece of Heaven 1957 A Thousand Stars Aglitter 1959 Twelve Girls and One Man 1959 Kauf dir einen bunten Luftballon 1961 Sein bester Freund 1962 Sansone e il tesoro degli Incas 1964 Das Blaue vom Himmel 1964 TV film Ski Fever de 1966 Aunt Trude from Buxtehude 1971 Holidays in Tyrol 1971 Wenn das die Nachbarn wussten 1991 Almenrausch und Pulverschnee 1993 TV series References edit a b c Evans Hilary Gjerde Arild Heijmans Jeroen Mallon Bill et al Toni Sailer Olympics at Sports Reference com Sports Reference LLC Archived from the original on 17 April 2020 a b Rospigliosi William 13 February 1956 Beau of Cortina Sports Illustrated p 20 a b c Litsky Frank 26 August 2009 Toni Sailer record setting gold medal skier dies at 73 New York Times p A21 Wernick Robert 17 February 1958 Bad day at Bad Gastein Sports Illustrated p 40 Williams Eric 15 September 2009 The end of an era Toni Sailer dead at 73 Ski Racing Retrieved 28 February 2014 Toni Sailer dies at 73 Austrian skier won all 3 Alpine golds at 56 Olympics Los Angeles Times staff and wire reports 26 August 2009 Retrieved 28 February 2014 Toni Sailer ranked No 1 in skiing Pittsburgh Press UPI 4 January 1959 p 2 section 4 a b Ball Robert 21 November 1960 Racing toward riches Sports Illustrated p 50 Morrill Greg 13 February 2011 Sailer Skis RetroSki Retrieved 28 February 2014 Verschoth Anita 1 June 1981 Olympic hero Toni Sailer teaches ski racing atop a canadian glacier Sports Illustrated p 6 Toni Sailer IMDb Toni Sailer Olympic skiing champion of grace and power who went on to a career in films and pop music The Independent Retrieved 20 April 2010 Carlson Michael 31 August 2009 Toni Sailer Olympic skiing champion of grace and power who went on to a career in films and pop music The Independent Retrieved 28 February 2014 Sportswoman man of the year in Austria Forum in German at AEIOU BRAVO 38 58 16 09 1958 Bravo Archived from the original on 20 July 2012 Retrieved 26 January 2009 Williams Richard 31 August 2009 Obituary Toni Sailer The Guardian Retrieved 28 February 2014 Skilegende Toni Sailer ist tot Tirol orf at 25 August 2009 Retrieved on 2015 06 02 Toni Sailer Wenn der Tod kommt dann kommt er abendzeitung de 25 August 2009 Toni Sailer hat Kehlkopfkrebs Oe24 at 12 January 2015 Retrieved on 2015 06 02 Rugh Pete 27 August 2009 Sailer funeral set at Hahnenkamm finish Ski Racing Retrieved 28 February 2014 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toni Sailer Toni Sailer at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Toni Sailer at Ski DB Alpine Ski Database Toni Sailer at Olympics com nbsp Toni Sailer at Olympic org archived nbsp Toni Sailer at Olympedia nbsp Toni Sailer 1935 2009 AustrianInformation org Toni Sailer skier actor and singer with images NevaSport com Toni Sailer at IMDb Toni Sailer Kitzbuhel legends Hahnenkamm com Toni Sailer clothing Toni Sailer in Austria Forum in German at AEIOU Toni Sailer at Find a GraveAwards and achievementsPreceded by nbsp Gerhard Hanappi Austrian Sportsman of the Year1956 1958 Succeeded by nbsp Karl Schranz Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Toni Sailer amp oldid 1209090850, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.