Karl Cordin
Karl Cordin ( born November 3, 1948 in Dornbirn ) is a former Austrian alpine skier. The downhill specialist in 1970 Vice World Champion, Austrian Champion twice, won three World Cup races and once the downhill World Cup.
Career
Cordin came through his father, who was successful in the 1930s in Nordic skiing, early for skiing. After he moved with his family to St. Anton am Arlberg, he was a member of the Ski Club Arlberg. Earlier in his career he scored the best results in the technical disciplines slalom and giant slalom. So he stood in 1967 in the slalom at the Puerto de Navacerrada first time in a FIS race on the podium. But soon was the exit to his special discipline.
The breakthrough in the World Cup Cordin succeeded in January 1969 with two third places at the Lauberhorn in Wengen and on the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel. Two other top 5 results he achieved in the 1968/69 season in sixth place in the downhill World Cup. He was also in 1969 for the first time Austrian downhill champion. In winter 1969/70 Cordin first reached the second place in Wengen and also second place in Garmisch -Partenkirchen. In the 1970 World Cup in Val Gardena, he won the silver medal behind the surprise winner Swiss Bernhard Russi. A week after the World Cup, he celebrated in the final World Cup downhill this winter in Jackson Hole, his first World Cup victory, which he equal on points with his compatriot Karl Schranz won the downhill World Cup.
In December 1970, in Val d'Isere Cordin scored his second victory in a World Cup downhill. After another top-10 results followed the end of the 1970/71 season the next three podium and make room in the downhill World Cup. In addition, it was established in 1971 for the second time Austrian champion in the downhill. Less successful was the 1971/72 season, in which he indeed five top-10 results, but no podium reached and fell back to eleventh place in the downhill World Cup. At the Olympic Winter Games in 1972 in Sapporo Cordin ran seventh. In the winter of 1972/73 he managed second place in Val Gardena another podium finish and he improved in the downhill World Cup in sixth. On 18 December 1973 Cordin in Zell am See celebrated his third and final World Cup victory, with which he was also sixth in the downhill World Cup this winter. At the World Championships 1974 in St. Moritz, he missed the fourth bronze medal by less than a tenth of a second.
In the season 1974/75 was impacted by a Cordin meniscus injury that he incurred in training. His best result was a fourth place in St. Moritz. In another four World Cup downhill he went into the top ten, in the downhill World Cup he fell back to eleventh place. At the beginning of the next winter he even reach two top - 10 finishes, but after stronger knee problems he gave health reasons in January 1976 announced his retirement. Later Cordin became a successful tennis player. In the 1990s, he was several ski - tennis world champion in his age group.
Sporting successes
Olympic Winter Games
- Sapporo 1972: 7 Departure
World Championships
- Gardena 1970: 2nd exit
- Sapporo 1972: 7 Departure
- St. Moritz 1974: 4th exit
World Cup
- 1968/69 season: 6 Downhill World Cup
- Season 1969/70: 10th overall World Cup, first downhill World Cup
- 1970/ 71: third Downhill World Cup
- 1972/73 season: 6 Downhill World Cup
- 1973/ 74: 6 Downhill World Cup
- Ten podiums, including three wins:
Austrian Championships
- Austrian Champion in downhill in 1969 and 1971