Michael Schmid
Michael " Mike " Schmid ( born March 18, 1984 in Frutigen ) is a Swiss freestyle skis. He specializes in the discipline of ski cross. His biggest success is the Olympic gold medal in 2010.
Biography
Schmid began as alpine skiing, this sport was, however, at the age of 16 years and turned to the ski cross to. On 18 January 2004, he debuted in Laax in the World Cup and came up with the 38th place. For the first time he got World Cup points on January 15, 2005, when he drove in Pozza di Fassa, ranked 22. Six days later, in Kreischberg the first top- 10 ranking. At the 2005 World Championships in Ruka, he scored his best result so far in sixth.
On 20 January 2006 Schmid was second in Kreischberg and thus was the first time in a World Cup race on the podium. Almost a year later, in Inawashiro a third place. In the 2007 World Cup, he drove to 10th place two more podium finishes were added in the 2007/ 08 season. On 5 January 2009 Schmid succeeded in St. Johann in Tyrol, the first World Cup victory. On the other hand was the 2009 World Championships in Inawashiro with 15th place rather disappointing.
Schmid won the first two World Cup races of the season in December, 2009 in San Candido. He never occupied in the 2009/10 season so far a worse place than the fifth. At the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 21, he was the first Olympic champion in this discipline, ahead of Austria's Andreas Matt and the Norwegian Audun Grønvold. Schmid had set the fastest time in qualifying and had all the finals decided for themselves. With the victory on March 14, 2010 in Hasliberg he secured prematurely winning the ski cross World Cup standings.
In June 2010, Schmid suffered during training a torn ACL on his left knee and missed for this reason the season 2010/11. Hardly recovered, he retired to the free skiing another cruciate ligament injury to, this time on his right knee. After he had played no competitive match for almost two years, he made his comeback on 17 February 2012 and finished in the strong European Cup race in Davos second place Matt. Eight days later he reached into Götschen back to the World Cup events and finished fifth.
Schmid, a cousin of beach volleyball player Nadine Zumkehr, is a skilled road builders and practicing this profession during the summer break still missing. In his birthplace Frutigen a road was built, which is named after him. He was personally involved in the construction work, since his father's road construction company had been awarded the contract.
Achievements
Olympic games
- 2010 Vancouver: 1 ski cross
World Championships
- 2005 Ruka: 6 ski cross
- 2007 Madonna di Campiglio: 10 ski cross
- 2009 Inawashiro 15 ski cross
World Cup ratings
- Season 2005/ 06: 6 ski cross World Cup
- Season 2006/ 07: 4 ski cross World Cup
- Season 2007/ 08: 8 ski cross World Cup
- Season 2008/ 09: 9 ski cross World Cup
- Season 2009/ 10: 2nd Overall World Cup, 1st ski cross World Cup
World Cup wins
Schmid won so far 13 podiums, including 6 victories:
Other successes
- 3 podiums in the European Cup, including 2 victories
- 2 wins in Nor- Am Cup