Michael Walchhofer

Michael Walchshofer ( born April 28, 1975, in Radstadt ) is an Austrian former alpine skier. He was 2003 World Champion in downhill skiing and won three times the World Cup rankings in this discipline. Also successful was he in the disciplines of Super -G and combined.

Biography

First international successes celebrated Walchshofer in the 1998/99 season by winning the overall title of the European Cup and the special stage for the slalom. He played his first World Cup race on January 6, 1999 in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Originally, it was considered a slalom talent throughout his career but he developed more and more into downhill specialists. In 1999 he also took part in a World Ski Championships for the first time. Vail / Beaver Creek, he was in the Alpine combination immediately sixth. In his former special discipline, the slalom, he left in the first round.

Four years later Walchshofer celebrated the biggest success of his career at the 2003 World Championships in St. Moritz. In downhill skiing, he was by a margin of 51 hundredths of a second Kjetil André Aamodt of Norwegian world champion. In the opening round of the 2005 World Championships in Bormio Walchshofer won the Super-G behind the Americans Bode Miller the silver medal. On the descent, he was only third because of a material defect as the defending champion and a big favorite. In the team competition, he also won a silver medal. On 12 February 2006, the Salzburg won at the Olympic Winter Games with the silver medal in the downhill his only Olympic medal.

The World Ski Championships in 2007 and 2009 went Walchshofer, although always acted as a favorite, both in the downhill, super-G and empty out. But a sensation he made at the 2009 World Championships in Val d'Isere yet. After his start was despite Start Stops released due to poor visibility and Walchshofer Rank 12 finished, put a protest of the Austrian Ski Federation and Walchshofer was allowed a second time at the start. Since the World Cup downhill in Val d'Isere than the most strenuous physical fitness throughout the season was, the performance is that the Austrians at his second run in 9th place went to assess not high enough. Its competitors unpaid Walchshofer when he crossed the finish line, respect. Walchhofer's teammate Hermann Maier example stated Walchshofer had not the golden, but the diamond medal earned.

Walchshofer won 19 World Cup races in his career. In the seasons 2004/ 05, 2005/ 06 and 2008/ 09 he won the downhill World Cup standings. He is the first ski racer, who opted for two double runs ( 18-19. February 2005 in Garmisch- Partenkirchen, 28-29. Bormio December 2006 ). With his victory in Lake Louise on November 27, 2010 Walchshofer 35 years and 7 months by then the oldest winner of a World Cup downhill, an age limit, which he further increased his victory in Bormio on December 29. On January 22, 2011, the previous record holder Didier Cuche overtook this record aged 36 years and 6 months by winning the Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbühel back. Walchshofer ended his career on 16 March 2011 at 35 years and 10 months after he had four days earlier celebrated his last downhill victory in Kvitfjell.

In his farewell season 2010/11 Walchshofer had until last chances to win his fourth downhill crystal ball. He came as the leader in the downhill rating for World Cup Final to Lenzerheide, where he was still intercepted by Didier Cuche and finished his last downhill World Cup standings with 12 points behind in second.

In May 2011, after completing his athletic career was Michael Walchshofer shareholder and board member of the resident in Linz SME Academy & Management AG, which offers training programs in adult education.

Walchshofer has with his wife Barbara, a daughter and twin sons. He also owns a hotel in Zauchensee ( Bundesland Salzburg / Austria ).

Achievements

Olympic games

  • Salt Lake City 2002: DNF combination
  • Turin 2006: 2nd exit DNF combination
  • Vancouver 2010: 10 Downhill, 21 Super -G

World Championships

  • Vail 1999: 6 combination, slalom DNF
  • St. Moritz 2003: 1st exit
  • Bormio 2005: 2 Super -G, 2nd team competition, 3rd exit, 4 combination
  • Åre 2007: 15 Downhill, Super Combined DNF
  • Val d'Isere 2009: 12 Downhill, 13 Super -G
  • Garmisch -Partenkirchen 2011: 7 Downhill, 11 Super -G

World Cup ratings

World Cup wins

19 World Cup victories (14 x downhill, super-G 3 x, 1 x super combined, 1 x combination )

European Cup

European Cup victories

Other successes

  • Austrian Champion in downhill in 2000
  • 7 wins in FIS races

Awards (excerpt)

  • 2003: Gold Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
Giant slalom Slalom skiing Alpine skiing combined Winter Olympic Games Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2003 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2005 2005 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2000 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2001 Alpine Skiing World Cup 2003 Alpine Skiing World Cup Municipality of Kranjska Gora FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1999 Vail (Colorado) Beaver Creek Resort FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2007 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009 2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2011 2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup Italy Wengen France Kiruna Walter Prager Gustav Lantschner David Zogg Franz Zingerle Rudolf Rominger James Couttet Henri Oreiller Christian Pravda Jean Vuarnet Karl Schranz Egon Zimmermann Jean-Claude Killy David Zwilling Franz Klammer Leonhard Stock Harti Weirather Pirmin Zurbriggen Franz Heinzer Urs Lehmann Patrick Ortlieb Bruno Kernen Hannes Trinkl John Kucera Erik Guay Integrated Authority File
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