Gerold Berchtold

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Gerold Berchtold (1940)

Gerold Anton Josef Berchtold (born September 17, 1920 in Engelberg ; † July 14, 2015 in Lucerne ; resident in Giswil and Lucerne) was a Swiss ski racer .

Life

Gerold Berchtold was born on September 17, 1920 as the son of the chemist Gerold Josef Berchtold and Vittorina Corneo in the parents' house Villa Maria in Engelberg. He had two siblings, Graziella (* August 16, 1921 ; †  January 6, 2016 ) and Emil (* January 30, 1923 ; † January 20, 2013 ). From April 25, 1927 to 1933, Berchtold attended primary school in Engelberg and from 1933 to 1941 the grammar school in what is now Engelberg's collegiate school .

Growing up in a mountain region, Gerold Berchtold developed an early interest in various types of snow sports ( speed skating , tobogganing , ski jumping and alpine skiing ).

Gerold Berchtold studied medicine at the University of Zurich from 1941 to 1947, although his studies were interrupted by long military service. In 1948 he received his medical diploma. For the next six years, he trained primarily at the University Hospital in Basel with Professors Schürch, Willenegger, Allgöwer and Nissen, and also in Paris and London. Another year followed with Lehner at the Cantonal Hospital in Lucerne. After completing his training as a specialist in surgery, Berchtold opened a private practice in Lucerne and was then an affiliated doctor at the St. Anna Clinic (now the Hirslanden Clinic) in Lucerne for 35 years .

In 1951 he married Romaine Ehrhard (born March 21, 1924 in Strasbourg , Alsace; † July 22, 2003 in Lucerne ). In 1965 he had a son.

Sports

From 1937 to 1942 Berchtold dedicated his free time to skiing. He took part in a large number of national ski races and was called up in 1940 for the Alpine World Ski Championships, which were canceled due to the Second World War.

Gerold Berchtold at his first ski race (1937)

In 1937 Friedl Fassbind convinced his friend Gerold Berchtold to take part in the Titlis giant slalom. In this first ski race on the Titlis giant slalom (route Titlis summit to Hotel Trübsee) without any special training, Berchtold achieved 6th place among the juniors with a time of 6'35 ". This result motivated Berchtold to beat the time next year. In 1938 he was able to achieve this goal in a time of 6'13 "and 13" behind downhill world champion Rudolf Rominger in first place among the juniors. The day's victory went to Johan Kvernberg (NOR).

year	place	discipline	rank
1937	Titlis	Giant slalom	6. Juniors
1938	Titlis	Giant slalom	1. Juniors
1938	Jochpass	Combination downhill / slalom	1.
1938	Jochstöckli-Trübsee	Combination downhill / slalom	1.
1939	Jochpass-Trübsee	Combination downhill / slalom	1st blue-white derby victory
1939	Titlis	Giant slalom	1st overall victory
1940	Jochpass-Trübsee	Combination downhill / slalom	2. Blau-Weiss derby victory
1940	Titlis	Giant slalom	2nd overall victory
1941	Standard route Trübsee-Engelberg	Departure	1.
1941	St. Moritz	Departure
1941	Titlis	Giant slalom	3rd overall victory
1942	Jochpass	Combination downhill / slalom	1.
1942	Balmeregghorn	slalom	1.
1942	Grindelwald	Departure	4th
1942	Jochpass-Trübsee	Combination downhill / slalom	3rd blue-white derby victory
1943	Blue and white derby	Departure	1.
1947	Davos	combination	3.

From 1939 to 1941 Berchtold won three Titlis giant slaloms in a row.

Jochpass downhill race 1939, Engelberg

Downhill category juniors

rank	Surname	time
1.	Gerold Berchtold	11 '18 "
2.	M. Schachenmann
3.	Fritz Stutz
4th	Gerhard Olinger

Date: February 1939
Route: Jochpass, Trübsee, Engelberg

From the press: “There is especially the young Engelberger Berchtold, who set the best time with 11.18 minutes; When he rushed past us on the Hegmatt, we saw him as a knowledgeable person taking the steep descent directly; he could shorten a few seconds. "

4. Titlis giant slalom 1939, Engelberg

Giant slalom category juniors

Gerold Berchtold (left), Rudolf Rominger (middle) and Hans Matter (right)

Gold medal 1939 back

rank	Surname	time
1.	Gerold Berchtold	5 '35 "
2.	Rudolf Schmied	6 '44 "
3.	Franz Hess	6 '49 "
4th	Franz Amstutz	7 '44 "
5.	Martin Fritsche	7 '46 "
6th	Gerhard Olinger	9 '13 "

Date: April 1939
Route: Titlis summit to Hotel Trübsee Difference in
altitude: 1439 m, route length: 4800 m

From the press: “The juniors mostly revealed a technically perfect ability, a closed, masterful style. As already noted, they came out on top, but they also had a remarkable average. Glarner Schmid mastered the sharp shot easily and smoothly. And already Berchtold from Engelberg, the overall winner, roared down in wonderful style and a daring, steep shot, hooked a dangerous ski into the snow, but pulled himself together, flew over the bump in the gate with a thundering Kristiania and shot into it with a sudden shot Target." The downhill world champion from 1936 Rudolf Rominger completed the downhill in the Senior I category in 6'36.8 "

Blue-white combination 1940, Engelberg

Combination category juniors

rank	Surname	Points
1.	Gerold Berchtold	2.09
2.	Gerhard Olinger	2.12.2
3.	Franz Hess	2.24.4
4th	Adrian Murer	2.20

Date: March 22, 1940
Route: Jochpass, Trübsee

From the press: “The gentlemen had to drive a long distance. They started a little below the Jochstöckli. Again it was Engelberg Juniors who set the best times of the day. Crouched low and secure, Gerhard Ohlinger dashed down the slopes. 1:27 minutes is his time and 1:28 Gerold Berchtold drove in his calm, fast style. The latter was the day's winner in the combination. "

5. Titlis giant slalom 1940, Engelberg

Giant slalom category juniors

rank	Surname	time
1.	Gerold Berchtold	6 '29 "
2.	Franz Hess	6 '41 "
3.	Rudolf Schmid	7 '05 "
4th	Adolf Odermatt	7 '59 "
5.	Hans Zurbriggen	8 '13 "
6th	Gerhard Olinger	8 '24 "
7th	Ruedi Burger	10 '01 "
8th.	Emil Berchtold	10 '35 "

Date: April 1940
Route: Titlis summit to Hotel Trübsee Difference in
altitude: 1439 m, route length: 4800 m

From the press: “Here we see the Engelberg juniors darting into the depths in a fantastic hunt. The rank at the Galtiberg demands a tremendous mastery of the bars at the senseless pace. Here, the winner of the day Berchtold also had his first fall in the rough snow, just in front of the flattening glacier plateau. But Berchtold has once again proven that he is a skier of great stature, and his driving time: 6'29 "says more than many words. The likeable Lyceist is a sportsman in the best sense of the word."

7th Klewen Derby 1940

Downhill category juniors

rank	Surname	time
1.	Gerold Berchtold	3 '43 "

Date: March 1940 Route: Rötenport - Hartmanix Difference in
altitude: 750 m, route length: 4500 m

From the press: “The winner of the day Gerold Berchtold from Engelberg is still a junior. Fortunately, there are still young and very young people who do not get their sporting success into their heads. "

8th Klewen Derby 1941

Downhill category seniors

rank	Surname	time
1.	Gerold Berchtold	3 '37 "
2.	Adrien Murer	3 '38 "
3.	Corray	3 '46 "

Date: March 1941 Route: Rötenport - Hartmanix Height
difference: 750 m, route length: 4500 m

From the press: «The winner of the Klwen Derby was for the third time Gerold Berchtold from Engelberg, who recently reduced the departure time considerably. Berchtold is an extremely reliable driver and he also seems to like unknown, untrained routes. "

6. Titlis Giant Slalom 1941, Engelberg

Giant slalom category seniors

Style study above Trübsee on the Titlis route, 1940

rank	Surname	time
1.	Gerold Berchtold	5 '45 "
2.	Gerhard Olinger	6 '04 "
3.	Friedel Fassbind	6 '34 "

Date: April 1941
Route: Titlis summit to Hotel Trübsee Difference in
altitude: 1439 m, route length: 4800 m

From the press: “Most of the men who have since started from the Titlis summit show tiredness here in the heavier deep snow, and there was a hail of falls. Although it often looked nasty when the snow piled up like a grenade hit, the whole race went without the slightest accident. Of the older men who started at the top, the Basel rower von Bidder was in a class of his own, while his colleagues were already lost in the pack of storming juniors. The first applause from the audience announced that the young downhill champion Olinger was approaching, but the club kamarad immediately following, the small, nimble Dolfi Odermatt, had obviously already taken valuable time. Meanwhile, the two let themselves be thrown off the hook by the hunt, whereby Olinger missed a goal and lost the best time of the day by going back, while the lightweight Odermatt, who had previously floated elegantly and fall-free through the gates, suffered a nasty fall in the tricky middle section, which he subsequently forced to give up. Hans Matter had driven really big up to the last third, because the favorite Berchtold, who started behind him, was only able to overtake him here, after which the tough fighter fell behind due to tiring falls. Berchtold made the only crash-free ride, like Verena Fuchs did with the ladies, and made a captivating impression. He owes the day's victory to his deliberate and calm ride, which was a revelation in the fall bombing. The third victory in this difficult race is the best testimony to reliability and ability. "

Lauberhorn elimination race Wengen 1942

Departure

rank	Surname	time
1.	Karl Molitor	5 '33 "
2.	Gerold Berchtold	5 '39 "
3.	Heinz von Allmen	5 '45 "

Date: January 16, 1942
Route: Lauberhorn-Nieverweggen Difference in
altitude: 1175 m, route length: approx. 5000 m

slalom

rank	Surname	time
1.	Edy Reinalter	81.2 "
2.	Count	82 "
3.	A. Robbi	82.9 "
4th	Scheuning	83 "
5.	Gerold Berchtold	83.1 "

Date: January 16, 1942

Engelberg Ski Club 1942

slalom

rank	Surname	time
1.	Gerold Berchtold	59.8 "and 1 '3.8"
2.	Robert Zurbriggen (Saas Fee)
3.	Hans Matter
4th	Friedl Fassbind
5.	Gerhard Olinger

Date: February 1942 Course: FIS slalom slope Hegmatt-Sand
From the press: “Berchtold again showed outstanding technique that made him win his victories seemingly effortless. Today it is undoubtedly one of the most reliable and strongest weapons in alpine skiing in Switzerland, and it is very unfortunate that it has inadvertently failed the FIS test of strength. The likeable Valaisian Zurbriggen has achieved great success, breaking through the strong Engelberg phalanx and claiming second place. "

Blue-white combination 1942, Engelberg

Combination category seniors

rank	Surname	Points
1.	Gerold Berchtold	2.28.2
2.	Gerhard Olinger	2.35.1
3.	Walter Amstutz	2.36

Date: February 1942
Route: Jochpass, Trübsee

From the press: “In the mountain class, which also included senior citizens I, the winner of the day was to be found. His name was once again Gerold Berchtold, Engelberg. Berchtold visibly went out of his way, risked more and in his beautiful style achieved the best time of the day of 1.36 in the downhill and a superior combination victory. "

Balmeregghorn 1942, Melchsee-Frutt

First and second of the seniors of the Balmeregghorn Slalom 1942, Gerold Berchtold and Pius Russi

Slalom category seniors

rank	Surname	Points
1.	Gerold Berchtold	3:42
2.	Pius Russi	3:54

Date: March 1942
Route length: 2 km, altitude difference 357 m

From the press: "The young Engelberg-born Dolfi Odermatt secured the class victory with 2 great runs - despite three small falls - with a time of 3'56.5". Three riders were registered in the elite class: Central Swiss ski champion Pius Russi (Andermatt), Ernst Gamma (Zug) and Berchtold Gerold (Engelberg). In the first run, Gamma missed his chance. Some serious falls finally threw him out of the competition. Russi drove smoothly and quickly, but Berchtold, although visibly cautious, managed the excellent time of 1 : 53 about 1:56 Russis. The second run was run in reverse. Berchtold was more exuberant with a wonderful demeanor and was sure to set the best time of the day of 1:49. His calm and deliberation, coupled with happy ability, always do it a pleasure to see him at work. Russi, although good again and without a fall, couldn't get any closer to him. "

Academic team competition Engelberg 1947

slalom

rank	Surname	time
1.	Gerold Berchtold (SC Engelberg)	57.8 "
2.	Ralph Olinger (SC Engelberg)	60.0 "
3.	Thedy von Rotz (SC Bannalp)	61.2 "

Date: January 3, 1947
Route: Rohrhalde

The SC Engelberg brought its members in the individual ranking to first and second place and won by a margin over SC Bannalp, which surprisingly held up, which left SAS Basel behind. The SAS Zurich, which was promising in the race, had to be disqualified because R. Fassbind was eliminated due to a goal error. A. Odermatt had set a brilliant best time in the first run, but had to accept a time bonus in the second run, which cost the individual victory.

Academic World Winter Games Davos 1947

Combination race downhill / slalom

rank	Surname
1.	Egon Schöpf (Austria)
2.	Herbert Lezuo (Austria)
3.	G. Berchtold (Switzerland)

Date: January 27, 1947
Route: Weissfluhjoch to Dorftälli
Height difference: 1100 m

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Radio news as the starting signal: The legendary Titlis giant slalom spontaneously emerged 75 years ago ( memento from March 18, 2012 on WebCite ), article in the ONZ Obwalden and Nidwalden newspaper from April 29, 2011. Archived from the original online version  ( page no longer retrievable , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on March 18, 2012.  
2. ^ Molitor, Berchtold et Von Allmen, leaders de l'équipe suisse pour Mégève, Paris-soir of January 17, 1942
3. ↑ Newspaper article January 3, 1947
4. ↑ Newspaper article January 27, 1947