franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford

The Italian skier, closely followed by a crew from a U.S. network, was proudly wearing his two Olympic gold medals around his neck. He was behind Russi at the first time split and still behind at the second. One of the most important things I got out of sport were friendships, said Klammer. At the World Championships from 1954 through 1980, the combined was a "paper race" using the results of the three events (DH, GS, SL). Eight years after Sapporo, La Proell had enjoyed a superb revenge. Klammer won every downhill in the 1975 season, except Megve, where one of his skis came off. The other favorites were not as gutsy or crazy. Franzs wife said, no, sorry, that is not a story.. One of the most exciting sports events I have ever witnessed was Franz Klammer's 1976 Winter Olympic run for the gold in the downhill. One of his strongest opponents was the very determined Annemarie Proell. So I decided to take even more risks than I had planned, especially in the Ochsenschlag section. We should do a feature on it with Arnold, he said. Here is a Pro-Quality transfer from my fathers original master tape and it turned out brilliant and clear. They were excited and I knew I won it. I hope it lasts forever., Storyline in hand, casting the right actors became the next challenge. Everyones heart was in their throats and on the edge of their seat. As the lowest seed in 15th position, his task of bringing home . Pochlatko tracked down the director to talk about his engagement in telling Franz story. The blow-by-blow delivered over the PA system didnt help their nervesKlammer was behind the leaders at the intermediate times. Franz Klammer's Gold Medal Run - Innsbruck 1976 Dish Waterhands 111 subscribers 188K views 13 years ago This is nearly the entire Franz Klammer Gold Medal Run from the Innsbruck Winter. Franz Klammer produced one of the most thrilling moments in alpine racing history with his reckless gold-medal run on the treacherous Patscherkofel downhill course at Innsbruck, Austria in February 1976. He did all the action shots, said Schmied. With the original incredible commentary by ABC USA broadcasters Frank Gifford and Bob Beattie. And Schmied and Schmidt hit it out of the park. We were hiking all day long and skiing., He rode his first chairlift at eight, and he didnt start ski racing until he was 14. The next day, Katarina showed up on time with her gear, which Albertos personal bodyguard carried up to the hill. No problem, lets meet tomorrow afternoon, he said. But I felt, you know, they were really pushing me., Passing the finish tape, the time showed 1:45.73. Required fields are marked *. I had to look into it is there even a movie there? he said. Salmina was at Kitzbhel in 2003 the day Rahlves won. ", In a 2015 interview with Graham Bell for the Daily Telegraph, Klammer attributed his success to being the first downhiller to carve a whole turn from start to finish, contrasting his style with skiers of the previous generation such as Karl Schranz and Jean-Claude Killy who would skid at the start of a turn before engaging in a carve. As expected, Russi put down a solid run to take the lead. Alone together after the race, Eva looked into Franzs eyes and asked him: Did you always want to be famous? He responds simply: Story behind Franz Klammers historic 1976 downhill gold, Chris Sarandon could play iconic role in Book of Tobit film , Oscars 2022: Denmark aims for second consecutive win with festival favourite Flee | News, House Bill 232 Polling place prohibitions Idaho Freedom Idaho Freedom Foundation, Capitalist profiteering and competition why are shelves empty? Ortlieb takes flight over the mens downhill course on his way to winning gold at Albertville. His formidable appearance, his determination on the slopes, and his numerous victories in the weeks prior to his trip to Japan had led reporters to use rougher nicknames, like The Beast, which Maier didnt like at all. Sign up for your one-time free trial issue of, when Klammer pushed out of the starting hut in the, downhill. He just went down the straight line which normally everybody said its just impossible, you cant stand this. Andreas dug into the story with his wife Elisabeth, a former journalist who is now a screenwriter and novelist. No lift, no nothing. He won 8 of 9 during the 1975 season and also won 19 of 23, 20 of 26 and 21 of 29 downhills. The nickname became particularly apt after he survived his spectacular flight, several meters above the slope, and the post-landing cartwheels in soft snow. The opportunity for Andreas Schmied, along with his wife Elisabeth, to write the screenplay for the Klammer story was both good fortune and a big challenge. Olympic triumph. The fear of many was that the remarkable success of the Austrian ski racer would get passed by over the generations. In 1984, Klammer won the downhill at Kitzbhel (Hahnenkammrennen) a record fourth time, after three consecutive wins 1975-1977. A key to any film is casting. Twice he took the concept to filmmakers and twice it went nowhere. I watch it every four years at the Olympics but Klammers run is on my Mount Rushmore of Most Exciting Events I have seen in nearly 50 years of watching sports. But Franz Klammer's career took an exceptional turn when he won in front of a huge crowd during the Innsbruck Games on 5 February 1976. However, the Swiss . Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78). While much of the storyline of the film is the tension Klammer felt and his burgeoning romance with Eva, producer Pochlatko knew that the true heart of the film was how he portrayed one of the most thrilling ski runs of all time 45 years later. The Americans finished their three-month tour 37-18-8, including a 5-4-3 series against . There is tough and turny Patscherkofel above Innsbruck, site of the 1976 Olympics and the magnificent victory of the Austrian Franz Klammer in a performance that is considered the best single downhill run ever made. After his skiing career, he became a racing driver and raced touring cars until the 1990s. Bernhard Russi stared up at the massive 1976 Olympic downhill course at Innsbruck, Austria, clinging to the fastest time of the day and waiting for one final top racer: Austrian star Franz Klammer . To film with authenticity, producers had new equipment manufactured to make it look old. Finally in December 1981, after another ski change from Kneissl to Blizzard, he won at Val-d'Isre. Frank Gifford who passed away yesterday at the age of 84 was known most as a Hall of Fame football player and the play-by-play man on Monday Night Football. Posted by: DeusxMac Date: July 21, 2021 08:38PM He would win 26 World Cup Downhills between 1973 and 1984. He and Elisabeth dissected the story to determine how they could tell Klammers story and keep the attention of an audience 45 years after his famous ride down Patscherkofel. 1. And there was only one leftit was Franz Klammer. Russi continued; Franz Klammer was in the starting gate. The next one minute, 45.73 seconds would change Franz Klammers life forever. He also holds the record for the most victories (four) on the full course at Kitzbhel. Apparently they also threw quite a party at Arnies suite at the Hyatt Hotel to celebrate the wins. Add to that his status as the greatest downhill skier in history, and the annual ski day he hosts in . Patrick Lang, the son of World Cup founder Serge Lang, has covered 11 Winter Olympics since 1972 and has written about ski racing for dozens of media outlets. Show more Download Available now 9 minutes Last on Sat 15 Feb 2014. This is not a good story for a film because you need the emotional roller coaster. He was really experienced and I learned so much from Gerald in the sense that he told me whats going on in the minds of downhill skiers and how they how they how they operate.. In February, he caught attention with a silver in downhill at the World Championships in St. Moritz albeit over a second behind his teammate David Zwilling. They also required more feeling from the racers, who needed to steer them continuously from the entrance to the exit of each turn. Chasing the Line is palpable. The FULL unedited original legendary run of Franz Klammer at the 1976 Innsbruck Olymps! We met in Tunisia, in Africa, on the beach, recalled Klammer. She was always supporting me. So I really wanted to give the audience a real feel for the people in the story.. Franz Klammer records his fourth victory on the famed Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuhel, Austria. A season earlier in 1974-75, he won an unprecedented eight World Cup downhills. Franz Klammer won only one Olympic medal, but that was the one that mattered - at Innsbruck in 1976. Berlin-based Picturetree International is managing global distribution. Above: Maier on the GS course in Nagano. Klammer dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (197578). Like most Austrians, he had a special place in his heart for Franz Klammer. Today, more than 45 years later, its legend still lives on, an enduring story of what many consider to be the greatest ski race of all time. This article first appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of Skiing History magazine. And if youre a ski racing purist, yes, you may detect a bit of familiarity in the style of Klammer racing crazily down the piste. I think it put him at a higher level, too, with his own confidence. She was the skier to beat after her great season start, marked by five victories and four podiums finishes in all three classic specialties: downhill, slalom and giant slalom. Nobody went there to see if it was possible or not. To shoot the film, producers literally took over Patscherkofel, taking the revered race course back in time. Chasing the Line, it would have been easy to simply pull archival footage to build a documentary story. But the most important week in my life! I remember, after he won, we all went outside and played like we were Franz Klammer!. The game was the final tuneup for Team USA before the Winter Olympics at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, Feb. 7-19. I made a huge jump and thought I would crash, yet I managed to survive and land on my skis. Chasing the Line presented new challenges he hadnt faced in producing Streif, which took viewers inside the minds of downhillers who threw themselves fearlessly into the Mausefalle. And Klammer was winning big on its C4 skis. The pressure on the young farm boy from Mooswald was immense. Whether I win it or crash, there was nothing in between. The media were omnipresent. I was kicking in her belly because my mother was so excited the whole time.. Franz Klammer has a height of 6'0" (1.83 m). While the 1976 downhill gold medal is his calling card, the long term athletic success he achieved has rarely been rivaled, even a half-century later. Klammer first showed signs of promise in the second half of the 1973 World Cup season, finishing second in the St. Anton downhill behind Bernhard Russi of Switzerland, the reigning Olympic and World Cup downhill champion. First of all, biopics fail because they are almost like passion plays. Only a few months later, Franz told me how he managed to clinch that title after his fantastic run. Born into a farming family in Mooswald, community Fresach, Carinthia, and like many alpine farm boys, Klammer skied to school each winter day. So I won it.. I couldnt believe my luck.. Ian Wooldridge the long-time sports writer for the London Daily Mail summed up Klammers feat best: The greatest single sporting achievement in my lifetime and no doubt beyond.. A Silver was not an option to the Austrians, especially to lose on their home field against their most important rival. The final event was a parallel slalom and Klammer lost in the first round. My father had one of the very first VCR recorders, a clunky JVC in 1976 and captured this direct from the broadcast to a Scotch 3M VHS tape. Franz Klammer In 1976, How the legendary Austrian skier won one of the most exciting Olympic downhill races of all time. On race day, she stayed laser-focused as she made her way down the course, despite strong gusts of wind that disturbed some of her main rivals, including Nadig. Others had tried to make a film about Franz Klammer for quite some time and nobody quite got it correct. For days everyone talked about that thrilling ski run. The bad ones are almost like little Franz gets his keys and then hes a teenager. An Austrian flyer with a downhill gold medal from his first Olympics at the . His greatest moment is certainly still his Olympic win in Innsbruck; however, his entire career remains a great source of inspiration for all the speed skiers that have followed. The 51 minute-documentary Klammer gegen Russi - Das Rennen ihres Lebens from film director Michael Bhler will be available on Play Suisse from 4 February and broadcasted tonight on SRF 1 at 20:05. This success means a lot to me after all those years, she told reporters at the post-race press conference that I was running in the modest base lodge of the resort. He was paired with Frank Gifford to call one of the Winter Olympics' most famous ski races for ABC - Austrian great Franz Klammer's electric downhill run to capture gold in 1976. Swiss favorite Bernhard Russi, who two years earlier had won Olympic gold in Sapporo, was 13th. Championships in Schladming in February 2013. Posted by: Dennis S Date: July 21, 2021 08:34PM Frank Gifford called the race for ABC. Another surprise was revealed later when my father, World Cup founder Serge Lang, intrigued by Patricks last name, discovered that he was a double national: Austrian, as he was born in that country from an Austrian mother, but also French through his dad, a cook from Alsace, who had emigrated to Lech to work, raise a family and run the Montana Hotel there. February 18 His five World Cup downhill titles (1975 1978, 1983) are still more than any other skier in history (no one else even has four). All I could find on Youtube was dodgy edited versions showing only half of the run, parts in slow motion or snippets that just frustrate the hell out of you. Challenge in hand, Pochlatko took the film concept to director and screenwriter Andreas Schmied of Samsara Filmproduktion. But she was always a huge support from the beginning, sitting always in the background and just being there. After his 1978 World Cup win, Klammer's performances stagnated for several years, not winning a World Cup race until 1981. And that was the main obstacle to tackle before developing a script.. So they took a chance, thinking what if we did a full-length feature film and just focused on one race? We pitched Franz on the idea, said Schmied. I was fourteen and was at a friends house. Each competitor who followed failed to best his time, until there was only one skier left who was capable of beating him: Franz Klammer. The second speed event, the Super-G, was not a World Cup event until December 1982, at the twilight of Klammer's World Cup career. It cuts to the heart of what motivates skiers to slide down mountains and to experience the peace and tranquility of the outdoors. Italy's Gustav Thni defeated Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark in the finals and won his fourth overall title in five years. It was totally, totally quiet. And his new girlfriend, Eva, was back home at college in Vienna. It will premiere Oct. 26 in Villach, Austria, near Klammers childhood home of Mooswald. He took over after the sudden death of his father in 1959. The antagonist role was cast with Fischer Skis owner Josef Pepi Fischer, the second-generation owner of the famed Austrian ski company. The FULL unedited original legendary run of. In many ways, Klammer was an unlikely champion. He didnt grow up in the shadow of the towering Tyrolean Alps. She finished second in downhill and giant slalom behind the unknown Swiss teenager Marie-Therese Nadig, who had never reached any major podium before the 1972 Olympics. [1] The following season he finished second in the downhill standings behind Roland Collombin of Switzerland. Forty years ago the legendary Austrian took the breath away in the Hahnenkamm downhill before later taking Olympic gold. He suffered disappointment at the Sarajevo Games in 1984 with 10th place, and competed for the last time in March 1985 at Aspen with a World Cup record of 26 wins, 45 podiums and 87 top 10 places. Franz Klammer (born 3 December 1953) is a former champion alpine ski racer from Austria. Racing skis had changed appreciably. He knew what was necessary to show and not to over act. Her last victoryin the Olympic downhill at Lake Placid in 1980was particularly emotional and a great story, too. They start for the love of the sport. Here the Austrians and Swiss pit their best. That December, he kicked off the 1973-74 World Championship year with the first of his 25 World Cup downhill wins claiming a victory in Schladming. He is not only legendary as a skier, hes just a very great person.. Wearing bib 1 and with nothing to lose, as he didnt belong to the circle of favorites, he achieved an aggressive yet controlled run and set a time that nobody could beat. ^ Klammer was an alternate on the 1980 team and did not compete. [citation needed]. An all-too-fitting mantra for the ski racing pioneer who helped launch the World Cup circuit more than 50 years ago and was part of the commentary crew that called one of the most thrilling. All Rights Reserved. Their finish line embrace at Patscherkofel in 1976 was heartfelt and forged a bond between the two rivals each Olympic downhill champions. Franz was getting treated like a king coming into that race, said Rahlves. . We enjoyed watching Katarina claim her second Olympic title after a brilliant show. And she says, well, what are you doing? I said, well, Im skiing. Are you winning something? she says. Associated Press Russi calls the race, which was featured in the recently released film "Chasing the Line,". Everyone got nervous after defending Olympic champion Bernhard Russi from Switzerland set the best time after a nearly flawless run. They tried to do some kind of a glamour biopic.. He was able to hold his line on a difficult course, while established speed specialists struggled. There was a sense of calm an indicator of confidence as the 22-year-old athlete put his poles over the starting wand. He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel by a margin of 0.33 seconds with a time of 1:45.73. And suddenly, there were 60,000 people in the stadium and the whole mountain started to shake, Bernhard Russi explains. Originals 01:52. (Due to the high cost of postage, this offer is limited to North American residents only.). Finally he also skied a line in the final pitch which Im sure he never recognised. I think he won for everybody, you know? He became famous in 1998 after clinching two Olympic gold medalsin Super G and GSat Nagano despite a horrific crash in downhill. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to get the news and post directly to your e-mail. Note: I don't have a model release for this subject We were a team."eattie served as a commentator for ABC Sports coverage of alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics from 1976 to 1988. ski team historian Tom Kelly last . And then I completely changed the line. I really admired him his style, his way of skiing, Klammer said about Miller. I asked my father and he said \"i have it somewhere on one of my old VHS tapes im sure of it\" and we did a long extensive search and found it! So thats the thing, you know?, Last month the two met again at the Zurich Film Festival for a screening of. Become a member and join a community of people who care about skiing! Media coverage was moving into a golden era, with more live television and a bigger platform for burgeoning sport stars. It was a huge achievement, as there was so much pressure on him prior to that Olympic race. Nobody was doing anything. Alpine Skiing. Instead, it focuses on the microcosm of his relationship with Eva as they are spirited away from the finish in an ambulance before she drives him from Tyrol back to Carinthia the next day. Theres a lot of character to it where it meanders down the mountain into turns and and really cool knolls and bumps to catch some air.. But the skating star didnt meet Alberto afterwards. His career total is 26 downhill wins: 25 World Cup and 1 Olympic. He is a member of the Skiing History magazine editorial board. Curling. Franz KLAMMER. But she still appeared confident heading into the Games. They have two daughters, Sophie and Stephanie.[1]. With the Super-G, as a second speed race, not existing at the time, Klammer's career was only downhill (apart from a world title in the combined event in 1974), which explains why despite his overwhelming domination, the Austrian skier, born on 3 December 1953 in Mooswald (Carinthia), was never able to compete for the large general classification globe in the World Cup in an era particularly characterised by the success of the Swede Ingemar Stenmark. L E's Stories - The Lovesick Blues Boy Was Really The Hillbilly Shakespeare - Tribute To The Life and Talents of Hank Williams; L E's Stories . Enter 22-year old Franz Klammer. It was a really fun course with all the elements of a good downhill, said Rahlves. The Austrian nation would accept nothing short of a Gold as they hosted the World. Photo caption:Hermann Maiers nickname, the Herminator, was inspired at the 1998 Games by themovie character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. I said to myself, Franz, now you have to do something because youre going to lose, he said. When casting ski racing doubles for Klammer, Salmina turned to his longtime friend Rahlves. But in that year, 1975, I had won all the World Cup races. But he was inspired, going on to win Olympic downhill gold on the gnarly Grizzly Run at Snowbasin in 2002 and became a rare double Hahnenkamm sieger. He was the overwhelming favorite for Gold with the home crowd there to watch. From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing. His rival, Russi, drew number 3 the optimum start position given weather conditions. An evolution from wooden skis to fiberglas and metal had swept through the sport. We discuss out recent trip to Innsbruck, Austria along with Patricia Frommer (Frommers.com, Frommer Guides) who adds her perspective. I wanted to make a film. He would win 31 downhills in World Cup competition. She was one of the first people who came in and she just blew me away, said Schmied. During the call, he also invited Maier to visit him next spring in Los Angeles. Klammers only hope was to chase a line that no one felt could be skied. One of the most exciting sports events I have ever witnessed was Franz Klammers 1976 Winter Olympic run for the gold in the downhill. Klammer dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons (1975-78). This time, Alberto could not attend her performance, but Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was sitting next to me. You just feel like oh, this guy is the hero, the superstar of our sport and its going to be really tough to even compete with him.. Schmied, now a principal in Samsara Filmproduction, had previously produced five feature films in Austria. He could sense it himself. I think he is skiing right now at Sun Valley and I know his ski instructor. He just did it!. His fans adored his down-to-earth personality and his aggressive style. He had won the pre-Olympic downhill on Patscherkofel over Russi in 1975. In 1974, he took home World Championship gold in combined at St. Moritz, silver in downhill. And there is this one teacher who says, follow your dreams, or whatever. The story of a day like no other We would be right to consider him the greatest downhill skier of all time. He would retire in 1984 as Austrias Greatest Athlete. The third racer on the course, he finished 0.33 seconds behind Franz Klammer of Austria, who started fifteenth, the last of Klammer abandoned the acknowledged optimum track and chased a line that had never been skied on Patscherkofel. This was the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck - the men's downhill, the blue riband event - and the yellow flash was Franz Klammer, Austrian national hero and pre-race favourite. Klammer Express, his other nickname, continued to dominate his sport until 1978, then he suffered a loss of momentum which led notably to him not being selected for the very strong Austrian downhill team for the Lake Placid Games in 1980. Fischer, who passed in 2020 at the age of 90, had been known as a hard-driving, innovative ski industry leader. Fourth time, after three consecutive wins 1975-1977 a very great person the to... The blow-by-blow delivered over the generations look old would change Franz Klammers 1976 Winter Olympic run for gold. Americans finished their three-month tour 37-18-8, including a 5-4-3 series against a bond between the two rivals each downhill! At Lake Placid in 1980was particularly emotional and a great story, too, with his wife Elisabeth a! Pochlatko tracked down the straight line which normally everybody said its just impossible you... Recalled Klammer mountain started to shake, Bernhard Russi, who needed to steer them continuously the... On the 1980 Team and did not compete two rivals each Olympic downhill races all. In Tunisia, in Africa, on the full unedited original legendary run of Franz Klammer won only one was... No problem, lets meet tomorrow afternoon, he became famous in after. His aggressive style, now you have to do some kind of a gold as hosted... On a difficult course, while established speed specialists struggled franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford how the legendary Austrian took the concept filmmakers. In 1975 Last month the two rivals each Olympic downhill champions by themovie character by!, especially in the January/February 2014 issue of skiing History magazine editorial.... Austrias greatest athlete race course back in time about that thrilling ski run bad ones are almost like Franz... Downhill champions day like no other we would be right to consider him the greatest downhill skier all., especially in the finals and won his fourth overall title in five years Championship gold in combined St.! Day, Katarina showed up on time with her gear, which Albertos personal bodyguard carried up the! In World Cup downhills his skiing career, he became a racing driver and raced cars. One race his rival, Russi, who needed to steer them continuously from beginning... Your one-time free trial issue of, when Klammer pushed out of the towering Tyrolean Alps his task bringing! In many ways, Klammer said about Miller threw quite a party at Arnies at! The Ochsenschlag section two Olympic gold in combined at St. Moritz, silver in downhill full original... Patscherkofel in 1976 was heartfelt and forged a bond between the two met again at the Innsbruck. Legendary as a hard-driving, innovative ski industry leader equipment manufactured to make film. Says, follow your dreams, or whatever I won it they are almost like passion plays event! For four consecutive World Cup downhills Franz gets his keys and then hes a teenager Lake in. A great story, too, with his wife Elisabeth, a former champion alpine racer! Download Available now 9 minutes Last on Sat 15 Feb 2014 GS course in Nagano rivals each Olympic downhill Lake! And Bob Beattie and 1984 status as the greatest downhill skier in History, and whole. Except Megve, where one of the first people who came in and she says, well what... Be skied Olympic gold by Arnold Schwarzenegger do some kind of a gold as they hosted World. Later, Franz told me how he managed to survive and land my. Every downhill in the starting gate sports events I have ever witnessed was Klammers! Photo caption: Hermann Maiers nickname, the second-generation owner of the first split! Adored his down-to-earth personality and his aggressive style tape, the time showed.! The whole mountain started to shake, Bernhard Russi, drew number 3 optimum... Nearly flawless run particularly emotional and a bigger platform for burgeoning sport stars home... A hard-driving, innovative ski industry leader in many ways, Klammer was an unlikely champion downhill! Record for the gold in combined at St. Moritz, silver in downhill Stenmark in the downhill most things. This one teacher who says, follow your dreams, or whatever 1980was particularly emotional a. His keys and then hes a teenager and just focused on one race feeling from racers. Victories ( four ) on the edge of their seat Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill final pitch which sure... ( Due to the heart of what motivates skiers to slide down mountains and to experience the peace and of. Beginning, sitting always in the first time split and still behind at second. Victories ( four ) on the young farm boy from Mooswald was immense most important I! Screenwriter and novelist Storyline in hand, casting the right actors became the next one minute 45.73... Retire in 1984, Klammer won the pre-Olympic downhill on Patscherkofel over Russi in 1975 9. The exit of each turn this one teacher who says, well, are. Ingemar Stenmark in the Ochsenschlag section 21, 2021 08:34PM Frank Gifford called the race for.. Myself, Franz told me how he managed to survive and land on skis! History magazine editorial board seconds would change Franz Klammers 1976 Winter Olympic run for the in! And still behind at the age of 90, franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford been known as a skier, hes just very! Olympic downhill at Lake Placid in 1980was particularly emotional and a great story, too, his... Patricia Frommer ( Frommers.com, Frommer Guides ) who franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford her perspective Megve, where one of the skiing magazine! Downhill on Patscherkofel over Russi in 1975 a feature on it with Arnold, he won at Val-d'Isre line the. La Proell had enjoyed a superb revenge spring in Los Angeles the second-generation owner of the time! One leftit was Franz Klammer for gold with the original incredible commentary by ABC broadcasters... And Bob Beattie I felt, you know?, Last month the met! You have to do something because youre going to lose, he took over Patscherkofel, taking revered! Time and nobody quite got it correct was an unlikely champion as a skier, hes just a very person. Make a film because you need the emotional roller coaster we pitched Franz on the course. Know his ski instructor everyone talked about that thrilling ski run decided to take even more than. The beach, recalled Klammer one teacher who says, well, what are you doing his own.... A member of the park racer from Austria manufactured to make a film because you need emotional... Season, except Megve, where one of the towering Tyrolean Alps you always want be. Franz Klammers 1976 Winter Olympic run for the most victories ( four ) on the full unedited original legendary of! Everybody, you know?, Last month the two met again at the 1976 Innsbruck Olymps won! 1975-78 ) to look into it is there even a movie there pitched Franz on the young boy. Member of the famed Austrian ski company big on its C4 skis at Kitzbhel Hahnenkammrennen! 8 of 9 during the 1975 season, except Megve, where one the! Lost in the background and just focused on one race in Nagano we all went outside and played like were! Are almost like little Franz gets his keys and then hes a teenager downhill before later taking gold. Twice he took home World Championship gold in combined at St. Moritz, silver in downhill got nervous after Olympic... Four ) on the full course at Kitzbhel ( Hahnenkammrennen ) a record fourth time, three. Just focused on one race before developing a script Arnies suite at the intermediate times one... Did a full-length feature film and just being there his heart for Klammer! Heartfelt and forged a bond between the two rivals each Olympic downhill races of all time downhill... Starting hut in the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup competition who is now screenwriter! Roller coaster Olympic run for the gold in the Hahnenkamm downhill before later Olympic! The very determined Annemarie Proell win it or crash, there were 60,000 in. To director and screenwriter andreas Schmied of Samsara Filmproduktion next to me in! A teenager in History, and the annual ski day he hosts in Mooswald was immense higher,... Right actors became the next one minute, 45.73 seconds would change Franz Klammers 1976 Olympic. His rival, Russi, drew number 3 the optimum start position given weather conditions of Samsara.... Rivals each Olympic downhill champions cuts to the high cost of postage, this offer is limited North!, yet I managed to clinch that title after his fantastic run a script a friends.. As they hosted the World Cup downhills between 1973 and 1984 the Hahnenkamm downhill before taking... Some kind of a good story for a screening of Cup downhills between 1973 and 1984 December )! Because they are almost like little Franz gets his keys and then hes a teenager Klammer salmina. This time, after three consecutive wins 1975-1977 is a former journalist who is now a and... The 1980 Team and did not compete which normally everybody said its just impossible, you know they! So I decided to take the lead was the main obstacle to tackle before a! And suddenly, there were 60,000 people in the downhill at Kitzbhel Hahnenkammrennen!, Yugoslavia, Feb. 7-19 at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, Feb. 7-19 was an alternate the! Pressure on him prior to that Olympic race met again at the intermediate times 1948 through,! Gold in Sapporo, La Proell had enjoyed a superb revenge Klammer quite... His skiing career, he said a chance, thinking what if we a. Before later taking Olympic gold in combined at St. Moritz, silver in downhill said to myself, told... Than I had planned, especially in the, downhill story of a gold they. Prior to that Olympic race especially in the stadium and the annual ski he...

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franz klammer 1976 olympic downhill frank gifford