Peter Wirnsberger

Peter Wirnsberger (* September 13 1958 in Vorderberg ) is a former Austrian alpine skier. His special discipline was the descent. He won at the 1980 Olympic Games silver medal in the downhill and in 1986 became the overall winner in the Downhill World Cup.

Career

Wirnsberger is a graduate of Skihauptschule and Skihandelsschule Schladming. His debut in the World Cup he gave on 17 December 1976 in the downhill in Val Gardena, where he finished in seventh place. On 8 January 1977 he drove in Garmisch -Partenkirchen in third place for the first time on the podium. At the end of his first World Cup season, he finished eighth in the downhill standings. This result he was able to repeat with two podium finishes in the season 1977/78. In his first major event, the 1978 World Cup in Garmisch -Partenkirchen, he finished 19th place

On January 27, 1979 Wirnsberger in the downhill in Garmisch- Partenkirchen celebrated his first World Cup victory, on March 3, he also won the downhill at Lake Placid. With these successes, he was in the 1978/79 season behind the Swiss Peter Müller second in the downhill World Cup. The 1979/80 season began with his third World Cup victory in the downhill in Val d'Isere. The highlight of this winter was the Olympic Games in Lake Placid. Wirnsberger won behind his Austrian teammate Leonhard Stock the silver medal in downhill skiing.

In the World Cup Wirnsberger provided in the next few seasons continued good performance. In the 1982 World Cup in Schladming he drove in twelfth place. In the years 1983 and 1984, however, the first time he could not place in the top ten in the downhill World Cup itself. The Austrians internal qualification for the 1984 Olympic Games he failed. In the 1984/85 season Wirnsberger but returned back to the top. He celebrated on 29 January 1985 in downhill from Wengen his fourth World Cup victory and came three more times on the podium. He finished third in the downhill World Cup and the ninth in the overall World Cup. At the World Championships in Bormio 1985 he finished sixth. In the 1985/86 season is Wirnsberger could further increase: He secured a total of four victories winning the downhill World Cup, reaching eighth place in the World Cup. The next two seasons were less successful. 1986/87 he went only once on the podium and fell in the downhill World Cup back to ninth. Also in the 1987 World Championships he came only on the 24th Place. Even worse, it was 1987/88 when he reached only the 17th place in the downhill standings and is again not qualified for Olympic participation.

In the 1988/89 season Wirnsberger but increased again. He ran twice on the podium and came in the final classification to fifth in the downhill World Cup. At the World Championships in 1989 in Vail, he finished in eighth place. His final podium place went to Wirnsberger on December 8, 1990 in Val d'Isere third place. At the 1991 World Championships in Saalbach -Hinterglemm, he was tenth. In the World Cup drove Wirnsberger will not work under the ten fastest, so he had to give up in 1992 to participate in the Olympic Games, after which he finished his career.

Wirnsberger participated in 16 World Cup years at 151 runs. He ran 78 times in this discipline into the top ten, achieved 8 wins and an additional 19 podiums. Also in combinations he came several times in the top ten. In addition, the profit of the Olympic silver medal in 1980, three top-10 results at World Championships and winning the Downhill World Cup in 1986.

Achievements

Olympic games

  • Silver medal in the downhill in Lake Placid 1980

World Championships

  • Garmisch -Partenkirchen 1978: 19 Departure
  • Lake Placid 1980: 2nd exit
  • Schladming 1982: 12 Departure
  • Bormio 1985: 6 Departure
  • Crans -Montana 1987: 24 Departure
  • Vail 1989: 8 Departure
  • Saalbach -Hinterglemm 1991: 10 Departure

World Cup

Downhill World Cup: 1st place 1986, 2nd place 1979 3rd place 1985

World Cup victories:

Awards

  • Silver Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria: 1996
Vordernberg Winter Olympic Games 1986 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1987 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1979 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1985 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1977 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1978 Alpine Skiing World Cup FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1978 Lake Placid, New York FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1982 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1985 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1987 1988 Alpine Skiing World Cup FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989 Vail (Colorado) FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1991 Alpine skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics France Italy Arbeiter-Zeitung (Vienna)
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