Richard Kröll

Richard Kroll ( born March 15, 1968 in Schwaz, † 5 October 1996 in mute ) was an Austrian alpine skier. He specializes in the disciplines of giant slalom and Super -G, won three races in the World Cup, several races in the European Cup, three medals at the World Junior Championship in 1986 and was three times Austrian Champion. He died at the age of 28 in a car accident in the Zillertal.

Biography

Kroell came by his uncle to skiing and ski club in his hometown Ginzling. End of the 1970s, he managed to jump in the Tyrolean junior squad, 1984, he came into the squad with the Austrian Ski Federation. Kroell was 1985 Austrian Junior Champion in Giant Slalom and finished in the same year in his first Junior World Championship in sixth place in the giant slalom. At the next Junior World Cup 1986 in Bad Kleinkirchheim, he won two silver medals in slalom and in combination, as well as the bronze medal in the giant slalom. In the following years, one in the European Cup successes, as he scored in the season 1987/1988 the third place in the super-G standings and eighth place in the overall European Cup. In the same year he also took part in World Cup races have often, taking 15th place won the first World Cup point on 25 March 1988 in the giant slalom in Saalbach -Hinterglemm.

After Kroell in turn had won in the 1988/1989 season a World Cup point as 15, the giant slalom in Kirchberg in Tirol, he decided in January 1990, surprisingly, the two giant slalom in Alta Badia and Veysonnaz for themselves. In the last giant slalom of the season 1989/1990 he finished in third place again in Veysonnaz another podium finish, which he finished fourth in the giant slalom World Cup. In the same winter Kroell was also Austrian champion in giant slalom. Two more titles in the Super- G followed in 1991 and 1996.

Following an unexpectedly successful season for him Kroell was sidelined through injury for most of the winter 1990/1991. In the World Cup he was therefore no points, and 1991/1992, as the World Cup points for the top 30 and were no longer as before, only awarded to the top 15 for the first time, he was able to score only twice. He achieved better results in these years in the European Cup, where he was the fourth and 1991/1992 finished 1990/1991 to fifth place in the super -G standings. At the beginning of the season 1992/1993 Kroll also managed the World Cup again a front placement, as he drove in the giant slalom in Sestriere to fifth place. Then he came at a major event, the 1993 World Championships in Japan Morioka, used where he finished in eleventh place in the giant slalom for the first time. For the Olympic Winter Games 1994 Kroell but failed to qualify within the Austrian team, although he had previously reached the third rank, and so his first World Cup podium in almost four years in the giant slalom in Hinterstoder.

After Kroell had celebrated some success in the Super- G already in the European Cup and also in the years 1994/1995 and 1995/1996 won several races, he in the World Cup but was so far have appeared only in the giant slalom, Kroll was in winter 1994/1995 also catch in the World Cup Super-G in the discipline to the top. He drove on January 16, 1995 as sixth in Kitzbühel for the first time in the top ten and celebrated on 16 March 1995 a victory in the Super G in Bormio. He ended the Super - G World Cup in fourth position. In the Giant Slalom Kroell was 1994/1995 down twice in the top five, but in the 1995/1996 season he remained in this discipline almost no World Cup points, while still belonged to the world leaders in the Super -G. He took a second place in Vail, drove three more times into the top ten and was sixth in the super - G World Cup. The worst super-G result of winter he scored just at the World Championships in 1996 in the Spanish Sierra Nevada, where he was only on the 20th Place.

On October 5, 1996 Kroell was killed at the age of 28 years in a car accident on the Zillertal road in the municipality of Stumm. He pushed on the way home on the wet track head against a German tour bus and died at the scene. In coaches, ten people were injured. Kroll is survived by his wife and daughter born in 1993.

Achievements

World Championships

• Morioka 1993: 11 Giant Slalom
• Sierra Nevada 1996: 20 Super -G

Junior World Championships

• Jasna 1985 6 Giant Slalom
• Bad Kleinkirchheim 1996: 2nd Slalom, 2nd combination, 3 giant slalom, downhill 42

World Cup

• Season 1989/1990: 4 giant slalom World Cup
• Season 1994/1995: 4 Super - G World Cup
• 1995/1996 season: 6 Super - G World Cup

• 6 podiums including 3 victories:

European Cup ratings

• Season 1987/1988: 8 Total European Cup, third Super -G standings
• Season 1990/1991: 4 Super -G standings
• Season 1991/1992: 8 Total European Cup, 5 Super G rating
• Season 1994/1995: 2 Super -G standings
• 1995/1996 season: 2 Super -G standings

Austrian Championships

Triple Austrian Champion:

• Giant Slalom 1990
• Super -G in 1991 and 1996