Renate Götschl

Renate Götschl ( born August 6, 1975 in Jews Castle, Styria ) is an Austrian former alpine skier. She became world champion three times, once won the overall World Cup and ten times a discipline World Cup. With 46 World Cup wins in four different disciplines, it is the fourth most successful athlete of World Cup history.

• 3.1 The Olympic Games
• 3.2 World Championships
• 3.3 Junior World Championships
• 3.4 World Cup
• 3.5 Single Cup victory
• 3.6 European Cup
• 3.7 Austrian Championships

Career

Beginnings and first successes

Götschl learned at the age of three years the skiing and won pretty soon their first children's race. She attended the Skihandelsschule Schladming and 1990 Austrian student champion in slalom, Super-G, and in combination. In 1991, she was admitted to the junior squad of the Austrian Ski Federation, a year later she was promoted to the B-team.

In the 1992/93 season the young Styrian celebrated their first successes. She won the European Cup slalom in St. Sebastian, was Junior Vice World Champion in slalom and three-time Austrian Junior Champion. But the most impressive proof of their great talent she was required in only her second World Cup race. After they are qualified in their first race, the slalom in Cortina d' Ampezzo on January 17, 1993, not yet for the second run, it was the then 17 -year-old her second race, the slalom in Norway Hafjell on March 14, with the high start number 42 sensational with more than six tenths win ahead of the Swede Kristina Andersson. The next winter Götschl confirmed this result, as they with the second place in the downhill and the fourth in the slalom won the combination of St. Anton in December 1993. However, in her first major event, the Olympic Games in 1994 in Lillehammer, she had no success with their single start in the downhill she fell after a fall from.

In the 1994/95 season Götschl had to contend with many failures, but celebrated on 10 January in the Super G in Flachau her third World Cup victory and was established in March Austrian Champion in the Super -G. The next winter was not optimal, in turn, they had to cope with many failures, though achieved several podiums, but no victory. At the World Championships in 1996 in the Sierra Nevada, they just missed the bronze medal in the combination, in the downhill, she was eighth.

Rise to the speed queen

In the 1996/97 season Götschl achieved consistent performance in the speed disciplines and celebrated in the departure of Vail on 7 December their first victory in this discipline. At the World Championships in Sestriere they first came in sixth in the Super- G and the eighth in the downhill in the final combination won the 21 -year-old then before the two German Katja Seizinger and Hilde Gerg the gold medal. At the World Cup finals in Vail it secured the second place the first time, winning the small crystal globe in the downhill World Cup. After these services Götschl was elected to the Austrian Sportswoman of the Year 1997.

Also in the 1997/98 season they reached constant performances and celebrated the departure of Altenmarkt on 18 January another victory. With a total of six podium places they occupied in the final ranking in Downhill and Super- G are each second place. At the Olympic Games in Nagano in 1998, they remained in fifth place in the Super- G and a failure in the downhill and in the combination but behind their expectations. In March 1998, she was Austrian Champion in the downhill.

In the season 1998/99 she put her two downhill victories in late November in Lake Louise, the foundation stone for the new winning the downhill World Cups, two more victories followed against the end of season in Åre and St. Moritz. The highlight of the season set for Götschl and the entire Austrian ski nation the World Cup in Vail / Beaver Creek dar. in Super G had to be just under her teammate Alexandra Meissnitzer admit defeat, but it was the second place ahead of Michaela Dorfmeister instrumental in the Austrian triple success involved. In the combination, she came behind the Swede Pernilla Wiberg also in second place. On the descent, they finally won the world title and, against Michaela Dorfmeister, Stefanie Schuster on rank 3 and Alexandra Meissnitzer on the 4th rank of an Austrian quadruple victory on. From the stadium announcer was announced because of their dominance in the training and competitions as Speed ​​Queen, a title that took up the media and the preserved her from now on. In the overall World Cup they came up with a total of five wins on the third place.

Overall World Cup win and further success

The 1999/2000 season was Götschls successful. With six wins (3x Super -G, 2x exit, 1x combination ), two second and three third places they won for the first and only time the big crystal globe for the overall World Cup victory and for the first time the little ball in the super -G standings. On the descent, it lacked in the end only five points on the German Regina Häusl. Striking this was their constancy in the technical disciplines, where, in contrast to previous years, rare retired and was able to consistently finished in the top ten.

In the 2000 /01 season they won a total of three races and came more times on the podium. Thus they reached each second place both in the World Cup, and in the downhill and super-G standings. At the 2001 World Championships in St. Anton she divorced in Super G from by best interval and also in combination, they had no luck. After the second place in the combined downhill it was after the first slalom passage already in the lead, but fell in the second run from. On the descent, she could not successfully defended the title she was beaten by 14 hundredths of her teammate Michaela Dorfmeister, was however, as two years previously involved with the second place ahead of Selina Heregger to an Austrian triple victory. In the giant slalom she divorced after a good first pass out also.

In the 2001 / 02 season, they came up with four wins again in second place in the World Cup, but fell in the discipline ratings back to fourth place in the Super G and to fifth place in the downhill. At the Olympic Games in 2002 in Salt Lake City, she won Janica Kostelic Croatian behind the silver medal in the combination and the descent took them bronze. In the Super-G, however, they only came in eighth place. Shortly thereafter, her career suffered a serious setback. In the first World Cup race after the Olympics they crashed on the descent of Lenzerheide on March 2 and pulled to serious injury in his left knee.

Successful comeback

After a long stay in hospital and subsequent rehabilitation, she returned in early December 2002 back to the World Cup. Already in its second race, the departure of Lake Louise on 7 December, they again reached the podium and mid-January, she stood with her double victory in the Super- G and Downhill in Cortina d' Ampezzo on top again. In the 2003 World Cup but you get no tip results in the downhill she came in fifth place in the Super- G only in eighth. In the Styrian discipline World Cup reached after their serious injury back in second place in the Super G and Downhill, where they Michaela Dorfmeister was inferior for scarce four points only.

The 2003/04 season was again very successful. With three wins in downhill and super -G, she won both discipline ratings, the overall World Cup only the Swede Anja Parson reached more points. In addition, it reached number two in the giant slalom in Lienz their best finish in this discipline. Equally successful was the season 2004/05. With two wins in downhill and super -G, she won for the fourth time the small crystal in the downhill World Cup, finished second in the super -G standings and third place in the overall World Cup. Three of their four wins this season, they celebrated it within a few days in one place: Cortina d' Ampezzo. At the 2005 World Championships in Bormio her first was only the 23rd place in the super -G, in combination, they fell out, but then still won the bronze medal in the downhill and with the team the silver medal in the new team competition. In 2005 she was elected for the second time the Austrian Sportswoman of the Year.

In the season 2005/ 06 Götschl was only slowly to their shape. It was only in January she succeeded in the departure of St. Moritz the first podium, a week later they celebrated the departure of Cortina d'Ampezzo their only win of the season. This was a total Götschls ninth triumph on the Tofana, no other alpine ski racer who celebrated at this time more World Cup victories in one place. At the opening of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin Renate Götschl wore the Austrian flag. In competitions they missed the bronze medal in the downhill just seven hundredths, Super-G, they only came to a disappointing 26th place. After the Games, she finished ahead of the season so as to undergo surgery. The knee ligament injury she had suffered in the last World Cup race before the Olympics.

In the season 2006/07 Götschl significantly improved again and celebrated with a total of eight wins (4x Super -G and downhill 4x ) so many season success like never before. Thus, it secured an early stage of winning the downhill and super -G World Cup. On 28 January 2007, it reached the second place in the Super -G from San Sicario their 100th podium finish in the World Cup. At the 2007 World Championships in Åre, Sweden, she won the bronze medal in the Super- G, but the exit they only finished in eighth place less pleasant. On the last day of the World Championships, she won with the team in the team competition. In the overall World Cup they reached only the fourth place despite their eight wins and five other podiums. Having already earned their last World Cup slalom two years ago, they took this season also the last time in the giant slalom race part and is now launching exclusively in the speed disciplines.

Declining performance

In the summer of 2007, Götschl had a knee injury, they already suffered during the last winter, have surgery and had thus for the next season a significant training deficit. She could win a race for the first time in twelve years in the 2007/ 08 season. However, they came back with two second places in the downhill World Cup behind the clearly superior American Lindsey Vonn to second place and in the Super-G with three third places fourth.

The 2008/09 season was extremely disappointing. In the first two months she could even drive into the top ten at the World Championships in Val d'Isere they only came on the 24th place in the downhill, Super-G, she fell out. Only at the World Cup finals in Åre they reached their only podium with third place in the downhill.

Resignation

On 19 August 2009 Renate Götschl was because of her pregnancy and an associated private reorientation her resignation as a ski racer known. In November, she was honored at the award ceremony of the Austrian Sportsman of the Year Awards with a special price. In March 2010 Götschl gave birth to a daughter, a second followed in July 2011.

Records

• The victory in the downhill in Cortina d' Ampezzo on January 20, 2007 was her tenth overall victory on the Tofana. No alpine racers or racer had won more often at a World Cup venue. Second time was the Swede Ingemar Stenmark, who could have eight wins in Madonna di Campiglio. In early December 2011, this record was broken by Lindsey Vonn, as these on three consecutive days, three races in Lake Louise won and has thus brought eleven wins in a World Cup venue about.
• With 17 World Cup victories in Super -G Renate Götschl was for 5 years ( on 4 March 2007 to 3 March 2012) the most successful runner in this discipline; even this record was surpassed by Lindsey Vonn.
• With 198 top- 10 finishes in World Cup races leads them into this classification ahead of Anja Parson (196).

Achievements

Olympic games

• Nagano 1998: 5 Super -G
• Salt Lake City 2002: 2 combination, 3rd exit, 8 Super -G
• Turin 2006: 4th exit 26 Super -G

World Championships

• Sierra Nevada 1996: 4 combination, 8 departure
• Sestriere 1997: 1 combination, 6 Super -G, downhill 8
• Vail / Beaver Creek 1999: 1st exit, 2 Super -G, 2 combination
• St. Anton 2001: 2nd exit
• St. Moritz 2003: 5th exit, 8 Super -G
• Santa Caterina 2005: 2nd team competition, 3rd exit 23, the Super-G
• Åre 2007: 1st team competition, third Super -G, downhill 7
• Val d'Isere 2009: 24 Departure

Junior World Championships

• Maribor 1992: 16 Departure
• Monte Campione 1993: 2nd Slalom, Super -G 8

World Cup

Renate Götschl has ever won the World Cup (2000), plus eight wins in discipline ratings ( five times of departure and three super- G).

• Overall World Cup 1st place: 2000
• 2nd place: 2001, 2002, 2004
• 3rd place: 1999, 2005

• Downhill World Cup 1st place: 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
• 2nd place: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008
• 3rd place: 2006

• Super - G World Cup 1st place: 2000, 2004, 2007
• 2nd place: 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005

Individual World Cup victories

Total: 46 World Cup victories (24 runs, 17 Super -G, Slalom 1, 4 combinations ). In addition, 37 times second and 27 times third parties.

Departure

Slalom

Super -G

Combination

European Cup

• 1992/ 93: 7th overall, 10th slalom rating
• 1 win (slalom in St. Sebastian, 1993), 1x Second, 1x Third

Austrian Championships

• Two times Austrian Champion (Super -G in 1995, departure 1998)
• Three times Austrian Junior Champion ( Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super -G 1993)

Awards

Biographies

• Werner Kopacka: Renate Götschl - The secret of the speed queen from Styria. Styrian Publishing Society, Graz 2000, ISBN 3-85489-036-2