It was one fitting for a downhill for juniors.”īernhard Russi, the 29‐year‐old plunger from Switzerland, who finished third behind the second‐place Werner Grissmann of Austria, also faulted the wind and the simple layout. The course, as everyone knew, was too flat. The downhill star, noted for his late rush on the more testing layouts, had signs of tears in his eyes as he said: The favored Franz Klammer, 1976 Olympic downhill champion, also from Austria, found himself without any further chance to win the World Cup overall crown, after he had come home fifth. Then, it was enough merely to be skiing with the team.SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., March 12-On a day in which the wind played favorites, gusting for some and subsiding for others, Josef Watcher of Austria registered a surprise victory today, capturing the World Cup men's downhill event at Heavenly Valley over a course considered by racers too easy.įorty‐three men turned out for the competition, which also produced another unexpected development. 'Winning is more important to me now than it was when I first started skiing. Klammer takes a more relaxed, even philosohical view. 'He has won on every course in the world, it won't be a surprise if he wins here too.' Klammer does not predict how he may perform on Saturday, but Brooker expects his elder to be near the top - jitters or not. The Olympics is something you have a chance at so rarely and for every sportsman the ultimate goal should be an Olympic championship.' 'There is no way to compare the World Cup and the Olympics.
Klammer very much wants another shot at the Olympics. That's why Franz Klammer is so amazing,' Ritchie said. I think the real test of a champion is to be on top and then endure a fall and come back. 'He has shown that ability to come back from a low point. 'I haven't given any thought to retiring, maybe after next year, but I will be back for sure.'Ĭanadian Alpine head coach John Ritchie terms Klammer one of the few 'true champions' the sport has produced. 'It's not that I take skiing less seriously than I did before, but I think I may love it more - as a hobby and a job. Klaus now resides in a special apartment in Klammer's home. He also was devastated by a skiing injury which left his brother Klaus crippled. Klammer's disappointments also include the ultimate blow for an Austrian skier - being deleted from the Austrian Olympic team in 1980. 'The most important thing,' said Klammer with a soft smile, 'is fun. The answer is one that younger, 'fearless' skiers, perhaps like Brooker, would not think of, at least for a few more years. 'Skiing is no longer the most important thing in the world,' he said. With the new career has come a change in attitude. This year he won again at Val Gardena Italy and his consistent Top-10 results have given him 86 World Cup points, one ahead of young Swiss ace Conradin Cathomen. The climb back did not seem credible until last season when he won the opening race at Val d'Isere, France. 'I came back after Lake Louise, it took a while and it was one of the bad times, but it was the beginning of a new career for me.' The injury came as his dominance of the downhill was waning after four straight World Cup titles and the now enshrined gold medal run at the 1976 Olympics. It was here, three years ago that he broke his ankle during a World Cup training run. The Lake Louise course may be home for Brooker but for Klammer it is the foundation of a new beginning. 'I have given little thought to retiring because I love competition and to win the World Cup this year would be maybe better than six or seven years ago.
There are few wise men in downhill skiing, most of the wise ones retire. Klammer bets on Feuz to win turny downhill By Mark Trevelyan 3 Min Read PYEONGCHANG (Reuters) - Austrian great Franz Klammer says the winner of the men’s downhill in Pyeongchang will be the skier.
Klammer is in the age of wisdom for a sport which is essentially a mad charge down a mountain. He enters Saturday's final race with two World Cup victories - at Kitzbuehel and at Aspen. So nothing has changed really, though I did not expect to be challenging for the title.'īrooker is 24 and fearless. 'I started the season wanting to win two downhills, Kitzbuehel (Austria) and this one on home soil. 'There is no pressure on me at all,' said Brooker. One may compare him to young Canadian lion Todd Brooker, of Paris, Ont., who can overtake the World Cup leader with a victory in Saturday's downhill final, so long as Klammer finishes no better than third.
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