Andre Arnold

Andre Arnold (born December 4, 1955 in Sölden ) is a former Austrian ski racer . After an unsuccessful first World Cup season, he switched from amateurs to the American professional racing series in 1977. There he was overall winner four times in a row from 1978 to 1981 and at the same time professional world champion.

Career

Arnold came to the Sölden- Hochsölden ski club as a child . His first major success was winning the bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 1972 European Junior Championships in Madonna di Campiglio . After several injuries, he was in the 1975/76 season in the European Cup establish. He won two slaloms in Kranjska Gora and Bizau and was third in both Haus and Santa Caterina . With that he reached the second place in the slalom classification and eighth place in the overall classification. The following winter he was accepted into the national team of the Austrian Ski Association . Arnold made several appearances in the World Cup , but remained without points, among other things because of material problems. In the summer of 1977 he decided to end his amateur career and switch to the professionals in the USA .

Arnold won eleven races in his first year on the professional tour. In doing so, he immediately secured the overall victory and the title of professional world champion. In the winter of 1978/79 Arnold was again professional world champion with eight wins. In the 1979/80 season he won the overall standings for the third time in a row with seven wins, something that no one before him has achieved. Also in the 1980/81 season Arnold was unbeatable and he became professional world champion for the fourth time with eight race wins. The Austrian enjoyed great popularity in the USA. From 1978 to 1981 he was named Skier of the Year four times in a row by Ski Magazine . He was also honored as the fairest professional athlete with the Spider-Sabich-Trophy in 1982 .

Arnold's fifth professional season ended with a serious injury. On April 4, 1982, he suffered a serious knee injury in the Vail slalom , which ultimately meant the end of his career for the then 27-year-old. Arnold returned to Austria, married and had two children. He runs several guest houses and, as a ski trainer, organizes racing camps on the Ötztal glaciers.

successes

US Pro Tour

• Four times overall victory (1978 to 1981)

• 1977/78 season: 11 wins
• 1978/79 season: 8 wins
• 1979/80 season: 7 wins
• 1980/81 season: 8 wins
• 1981/82 season: 4 wins

European Cup

• 1975/76 season : 8th overall ranking, 2nd slalom ranking
• Two wins (slaloms in Kranjska Gora and Bizau 1975/76) and two third places

Junior European Championships

• Madonna di Campiglio 1972 : 3rd giant slalom

literature

• Austrian Ski Association (Ed.): Austrian Ski Stars from A – Z. Ablinger & Garber, Hall in Tirol 2008, ISBN 978-3-9502285-7-1 , pp. 14-15.

Web links

• Andre Arnold's website ( Memento from January 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive )