Christl Haas

Christl Haas ( born September 19, 1943 in Kitzbuehel, † July 8, 2001 in Manavgat, Turkey) was an Austrian alpine skier. It belonged in the 1960s to the best Abfahrerinnen the world and was founded in 1964 Olympic champion in this discipline.

Biography

Christl Haas grew up in Kitzbühel close to the famous Hahnenkamm downhill, her way to school she had to deal with in the winter often on skis. It was already early attention in the Kitzbühel Ski Club on her talent she showed in the downhill before all things, and began to deliberately promote. In 1960, Haas Austrian Junior Champion in the downhill and denied in the same winter, their first major international race where they had great success from the start. She won about the Parsenn Derby in Davos, in the Coppa Femina in Abetone departure, the slalom and the combination and the famous Arlberg - Kandahar race in 1960 was it. Second in the downhill behind Traudl Hecher Thus they had very quickly made ​​the breakthrough to the top. The following year, another top results were added and at the age of 17, she won her first title in the Austrian descent. Seven more were to follow.

In winter 1961/62 to Haas qualified with several podium finishes quite soon for the World Cup in Chamonix. There, the 18 -year-old celebrated her first big triumph when they on the Italian Riva Pia world champion in the downhill was over 3 seconds ahead. The season 1962/63 started with a heavy crash in the giant slalom in Oberstaufen, who forced a multi-week break. Already in its first race after the injury she stood in the departure of Abetone again at the top of the podium, and a few more victories followed in this season, for example, the triple victory in the downhill, slalom and combined in Zermatt.

In the season 1963/64, Haas won the downhill silver jug race in Bad Gastein over 5 seconds ahead of her compatriot Traudl Hecher and was considered a big favorite for the Olympic Winter Games in 1964 in Innsbruck. There she was this role justice and won after the sixth place in the slalom and the giant slalom Fourth place in the Olympic downhill on the Axamer Lizum with more than a second ahead of her teammate Edith Zimmermann. In the combined score that counted only as a world championship competition, she also won the silver medal behind the French Marielle Goitschel. After the games, they still celebrated more victories and won about every three competitions at Holmenkollen Kandahar race in the Norwegian Voss.

The following winter Haas was able to continue its success last year and won several departures, including the classics in Grindelwald and the departure of the gold key race in Montafon, but suffered a broken leg in February. Even before the end of the season, she returned to the slopes and reached the descent from Vail to third place. In the 1965/66 season she could repeat her downhill victory in the SDS- race in Grindelwald and won a number of more Apply for departure, the slalom and the combination at the Arlberg - Kandahar race in Murren. She was also honored with the Kandahar diamond needle. In the 1966 World Cup, which was held this year in August in Portillo Chile, they remained far behind their expectations, finished second in the downhill fifth place and came in slalom only ranked 24

During the season 1966/67, Haas was affected by renal pelvic inflammation and thereby reached in the inaugural World Cup Skiing only a fourth place in the slalom of Monte Bondone. On the descent, they came not among the top ten in the entire winter. The next year, but it has been improved again. In the World Cup downhill in Bad Gastein she reached the second place in Saint- Gervais- les- Bains they finished third and qualified for the Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble in 1968. There won the Tyrolean, which was this time not among the favorites, the bronze medal in the downhill. In the World Cup she finished with another second place in Aspen ranked third in the downhill standings.

After this season, Haas finished at the age of 24 years, her athletic career, also due to their illnesses and injuries they had suffered. Haas was a certified ski instructor and introduced a sporting goods store in St. Johann. At the opening of the Olympic Winter Games 1976, held for the second time in Innsbruck after 1964, they lit the "Remembrance fire " for the Games in 1964, which burned right next to the Olympic fire.

During a holiday in Turkey in the summer of 2001 Christl Haas was drowned at the age of 57 years while swimming in the Mediterranean.

Achievements

Olympic Winter Games

  • Innsbruck 1964 1st exit, 4 Giant Slalom, Slalom 6
  • Grenoble 1968: 3rd exit

World Championships

  • Chamonix 1962: 1 departure, 12 Giant Slalom
  • Innsbruck 1964 1st exit, 2 combination, 4 Giant Slalom, Slalom 6
  • Portillo 1966: 5 Downhill, Slalom 24
  • Grenoble 1968: 3rd exit

World Cup

  • Season 1968: 10th overall, 3rd exit summary
  • 4 podiums

Austrian Championships

Christl Haas was eight times Austrian Champion:

  • Slalom ( 1): 1966
  • Giant Slalom ( 1): 1964
  • Departure ( 3): 1961, 1963, 1966
  • Combination ( 3): 1964, 1966, 1968

Awards (excerpt)

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