Benjamin Raich

Benjamin Raich ( born February 28, 1978 in Leins, municipality Arzl ) is an Austrian alpine skier. He has been twice Olympic champion, three-time world champion and once won the overall World Cup.

Raich has a sister, the former alpine skier Carina Raich, and a brother named Florian. The snowboarder Heidi Neururer is his cousin. Since 2004 he is romantically involved with alpine skier Marlies Schild.

Biography

1991 won the Trofeo Topolino Raich. His first major successes came at the Junior World Championships. He won gold in 1996 in the slalom and giant slalom in 1997. In 1998 he became junior world champion in giant slalom, slalom, and in combination, as well as European Cup winner in the giant slalom, slalom and overall standings.

On March 10, 1996, he denied the slalom Kvitfjell his first race at the Alpine Skiing World Cup. In his fourth World Cup race, the giant slalom in Vail on 15 March 1997, he won first World Cup points in 18th place. The first victory in the World Cup he succeeded on January 7, 1999 at night slalom in Schladming, when he still drove from 23rd place in the first round to win.

At the beginning of his career Raich was regarded as pure technology specialist, who played mainly the disciplines of slalom and giant slalom. But gradually he became the all-rounder that can also travel in the speed disciplines, especially in the super -G, in front.

His first medal he won at the 2001 World Championships in St. Anton am Arlberg where he won a silver medal in the slalom. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, he was able to win the bronze medal in the combination. In the slalom, he was fourth, but as the third-ranked Briton Alain Baxter was later disqualified for a positive drug test, Raich was awarded the International Olympic Committee and the bronze medal in the slalom. In the 2003 World Cup in St. Moritz, he just missed another medal in fourth place in the slalom. At the 2005 World Championships in Bormio Janica Kostelic next Raich was the undisputed superstar of the event. He was world champion in the combined and slalom. In addition, he won the silver medal and a bronze medal in super -G and giant slalom in the team competition.

After being in Sestriere first to retire on the combination of the lead at the Olympic Winter Games in 2006 and also in the Super -G could not shine, then he won both the giant slalom and the slalom gold medal. At the 2007 World Championships in Åre, he won the super combined and the silver medal in the team competition with Marlies Schild, Renate Götschl, Michaela Kirchgasser, Fritz Strobl and Mario Matt the gold medal. Another medal he missed fourth in slalom only three hundredths of a second. At the 2009 World Championships in Val d'Isère, he won the silver medal behind Carlo Janka in the Giant Slalom, Super-G, he finished fifth. Without medal he remained at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In the slalom as he lacked only five hundredths of a second 's Fourth on the podium in giant slalom and super combined, he came sixth. At the World Championships 2011 in Garmisch -Partenkirchen, he was injured after 5th place in the Super G and 4th place in the Super Combined at the team competition difficult. He retired to a tear of the left anterior cruciate ligament, cartilage demolition of the outer shin bone and a portion of the outer meniscus tear. His teammates reached the final, where they lost to the French team and silver brought. This was Raich's 14th medal at major events.

After this injury he was in the following season 2011/2012 from the very beginning to deny race, but it took until February 25, 2012, to he celebrated his first victory since 11 December 2009 - in the Super -G, where he had never won. At the World Cup finals in Schladming, he drove in the descent to 5th place, which won over 45 points submitted that in the career total achieved during the World Cup ranking points he could replace Kjetil André Aamodt from the top: Aamodt had by 1990 achieved a total of 13 252 points to 2006, Raich came with the departure of Schladming on a provisional new record of 13,281 points, he further expanded with top - ten finishes in the Super- G and giant slalom at the World Cup finals. This ranking, however, is meaningful only for seasons from 1992, as previously, only 25 points were awarded for the victory; if the points made ​​before 1992 are enhanced by a factor 4 ( corresponds exactly to the places one to three and six to eight for the remaining top ten places it yields one to two points downward deviation ), then lie Ingemar Stenmark and Marc Girardelli before Raich.

In the 2012/2013 season Benjamin Raich could not take his good form from the end of last season and struggled initially to port. But shortly before the World Championships in Schladming he proved his form Ascending especially in his special slalom and giant slalom with some top -10 finishes and fourth place in the Super Combined in Wengen. Due to the good results, he was allowed to go in these three disciplines at the World Championships in Schladming at the start, where it turned into the super-combined on the way to a possible medal. Raich finished the season with only six placings in the top ten and stayed for the first time since the 1997/1998 season without a podium finish.

Raich started better than in recent years in the 2013/2014 season and finished in the first slalom of the season in Levi, ranked eighth. With further four top - ten finishes ( two in slalom and giant slalom), he qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where he finished 7th in the giant slalom and the slalom was eliminated. When the giant slalom in Kranjska Gora on March 8, 2014, he finished as runner after a dry spell of more than two years (since winning the Super -G of Crans Montana on February 25, 2012) again a podium finish.

In the years 2001, 2005 and 2007, Raich decided the slalom World Cup itself, 2005 and 2006, the giant slalom World Cup, 2005, 2006 and 2010, the Combined World Cup, for which, however, only since 2007, a crystal trophy will be awarded. After the second place in 2005, he became in 2006 the first time winner in the World Cup. In the overall World Cup standings, he has been five times second, thus emphasizing its world-class. In 2009 he was defeated in the battle for the World Cup just two points of Aksel Lund Svindal - this was moderately points the scarcest World Cup decision ever, in percentage terms it was surpassed by the scarcest decision with the ladies in the season 2010/11. Between 2004 and 2010, ie seven consecutive years, Raich was always in the top three of the overall World Cup standings, which only Gustav Thöni, Pirmin Zurbriggen, Katja Maria Hoefl - Riesch Seizinger and so far has succeeded in excluding him. 2008 Raich competed in all disciplines except for the exit in the top ten in the overall standings.

For large events (Olympic Games, World Championships ), he has participated, according to statistics already at 24 award ceremonies ( 14 times on the podium 10 times with places four to six). In fact, stood at the Olympic Games in 2002 in the Slalom ceremony yet Alain Baxter on the podium ( Raich in fourth place was of course still at the awards ceremony ), while Raich at the time of the award ceremony for the team competition already in the hospital at the World Cup 2011. In addition, he has earned by all active ski racers the most World Cup victories (36 ), in the " time list " of the World Cup the men he is sixth. 2006 Raich was voted Austrian Sportsman of the Year and awarded by the International Association of Ski Journalists with the Skieur d'Or.

Achievements

Olympic Winter Games

  • Salt Lake City 2002: 3rd slalom, 3 combined, 4 Giant Slalom
  • Turin 2006: 1 Slalom, 1st Giant Slalom, Super-G 21
  • Vancouver 2010: 4th Slalom, Super Combined 6, 6 Giant Slalom, Super-G 14
  • Sochi 2014: 7 Giant Slalom

World Championships

  • Vail 1999: 5th Slalom
  • St. Anton 2001: 2nd Slalom
  • St. Moritz 2003: 4th Slalom, Giant Slalom 9
  • Bormio 2005: 1 slalom, 1 combination, 2nd Giant Slalom, 2nd team competition, third Super -G
  • Åre 2007: 1st Team Competition, 2nd Super Combined, Slalom 4
  • Val d'Isere 2009: 2 Giant Slalom, Super -G 5
  • Garmisch -Partenkirchen 2011: 2nd team competition, 4 Super Combined, Super G 5
  • Schladming 2013: 9 Giant Slalom, Slalom 13

Junior World Championships

  • High -Ybrig 1996: 1st slalom
  • Schladming 1997: 1st Giant Slalom
  • Megève 1998: 1 Slalom, Giant Slalom 1, 1 combination, 12 Super -G, downhill 14

World Cup ratings

  • Overall World Cup 1st place: 2006
  • 2nd place: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • 3rd place: 2004
  • Giant Slalom World Cup 1st place: 2005, 2006
  • 2nd place: 2002, 2008, 2009
  • 3rd place: 2007, 2010
  • Slalom World Cup 1st place: 2001, 2005, 2007
  • 3rd place: 2004, 2006
  • Combined World Cup 1st place: 2005, 2006, 2010
  • 2nd Place: 2004
  • Super - G World Cup 3rd place: 2008

World Cup wins

  • 36 World Cup victories (14 x Giant Slalom, Slalom x 14, 5 x Super Combined, 2 x combination, 1 x Super -G)

European Cup

  • Season 1996/ 97: 5 slalom rating
  • Season 1997/ 98: 1st overall, 1st slalom standings, 1 giant slalom rating
  • 18 podiums, 9 wins:

Other successes

  • Austrian champion in giant slalom in 2000
  • 1 victory in the Nor- Am Cup
  • 6 wins at FIS races

Awards

  • 2001: Silver Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria
  • 2006: Austria's sportsman of the year
  • 2006: Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
  • 2006: Skieur d'Or
Slalom skiing Alpine skiing combined Winter Olympic Games FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2001 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2005 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2007 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011 World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships 2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2005 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2001 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup Arzl im Pitztal List of Olympic medalists in alpine skiing Vail (Colorado) Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2003 Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2013 Alpine skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics Katja Seizinger FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1999 Flachau Italy Municipality of Kranjska Gora Adelboden Beaver Creek Resort Chamonix France Levi, Finland Finland Bad Kleinkirchheim Crans-Montana Valloire Bardonecchia Stein Eriksen Roger Staub Jean-Claude Killy Heini Hemmi Max Julen Alberto Tomba Markus Wasmeier Hermann Maier Stephan Eberharter Othmar Schneider Ernst Hinterseer Josef Stiegler Piero Gros Finn Christian Jagge Thomas Stangassinger Jean-Pierre Vidal Giuliano Razzoli David Zogg Anton Seelos Rudolf Rominger Georges Schneider Josef Rieder Charles Bozon Jonas Nilsson Tom Stiansen Manfred Pranger Jean-Baptiste Grange Marcel Hirscher Otto Furrer Josef Jennewein Henri Oreiller Karl Schranz Ludwig Leitner Billy Kidd Franz Klammer Michel Vion Lasse Kjus Bode Miller Daniel Albrecht Monika Bergmann-Schmuderer Hilde Gerg Felix Neureuther Cyprien Richard Tessa Worley Marcel Mathis List of FIS Alpine Ski World Cup men's champions Luc Alphand
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