1972 Winter Olympics/Alpine Skiing

Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics
information
venue	Sapporo
competition site	Eniwa , Teine
nations	27
athletes	143 (93 , 50 )
date	5th-13th February 1972
decisions	6
← Grenoble 1968 Innsbruck 1976 →

At the XI. At the 1972 Olympic Games in Sapporo , six alpine skiing competitions were held. The slopes were located on the slopes of the Eniwa and Teine mountains . The first three places in downhill, giant slalom and slalom also received world championship medals in addition to the Olympic medals, since these competitions were also counted as the 22nd  Alpine World Ski Championships. Only World Championship medals were awarded in Alpine Combined.

The French men's team surprisingly remained without a medal. After the exclusion of Karl Schranz , the Austrian team wanted to obtain a subsequent nomination from Harald Rofner (who then also flew to Sapporo), but the IOC rejected this because the regulations did not provide for a subsequent nomination.

Olympic record

medal table

place	country				total
1	Switzerland	3	2	1	6
2	Italy	1	1	1	3
3	United States	1	–	1	2
4	Spain	1	–	–	1
5	Austria	–	2	2	4
6	France	–	1	1	2

medal winner

Men competitor gold silver bronze Departure Bernhard Russi Roland Collombin Heinrich Messner giant slalom Gustav Thöni Edmund Bruggman Werner Mattle slalom Francisco Fernandez Ochoa Gustav Thöni Roland Thöni

women competitor gold silver bronze Departure Marie Theres Nadig Annemarie Moser-Proell Susan Corrock giant slalom Marie Theres Nadig Annemarie Moser-Proell Wiltrud Drexel slalom Barbara Ann Cochran Daniele Debernard Florence Steuerer

results men

Departure

place	country	athlete	time (min)
1	SUI	Bernhard Russi	1:51.43
2	SUI	Roland Collombin	1:52.07
3	AUT	Heinrich Messner	1:52.40
4	SUI	Andrew spokesman	1:53.11
5	NOR	Eric Haker	1:53.16
6	SUI	Walter Tresch	1:53.19
7	AUT	Karl Cordin	1:53.32
8th	USA	Bob Cochran	1:53.39
9	AUT	Joseph Loidl	1:53.71
10	IT	Marcello Varallo	1:53.85
18	FRG	Hansjoerg Schlager	1:55.05
24	FRG	Franz Vogler	1:55.50
27	FRG	Alfred Hagen	1:56.04
29	FRG	Will Lesch	1:56.67
30	LIE	Willi Frommelt	1:57.58
31	AUT	Reinhard Tritscher	1:58.05

Date: February 7, 1:30 p.m.
Location: Eniwa
Start: 1126 m, finish: 354 m
Altitude difference: 772 m, route length: 2640 m

55 participants, all in the rating.

giant slalom

place	country	athlete	time (min)
1	IT	Gustav Thöni	3:09.62
2	SUI	Edmund Bruggman	3:10.75
3	SUI	Werner Mattle	3:10.99
4	FRG	Alfred Hagen	3:11,16
5	FRA	Jean Noël Augert	3:11,84
6	FRG	Max Rieger	3:11.94
7	AUT	David Gemini	3:12,32
8th	AUT	Reinhard Tritscher	3:12,39
9	POLE	Andrzej Bachleda-Curuś	3:12,42
	FRA	Alain Penz
12	AUT	Joseph Loidl	3:14.65
14	SUI	Walter Tresch	3:14.75
18	AUT	Werner Bleiner	3:15.96
22	LIE	Willi Frommelt	3:18.65

1st run: 9 February, 1:30 p.m.
Location: Teine
Start: 952 m, finish: 550 m
Altitude difference: 402 m, route length: 1034 m
Gates: 63

2nd run: February 10, 1:30 p.m.
Location: Teine
Start: 952 m, finish: 550 m
Altitude difference: 402 m, route length: 1130 m
Gates: 66

After the first heat, Erik Håker from Norway was in the lead, but dropped out in the second heat. 73 participants, 48 ​​of them in the ranking. Eliminated among others: Francisco Fernández Ochoa (ESP), Erik Håker (NOR), Sepp Heckelmiller (FRG), Christian Neureuther (FRG), Adolf Rösti (SUI).

Håker started the second race with No. 1 in front of Bruggmann, but according to press reports he probably wouldn't have had a chance against Thöni (No. 6), who drove confidently in the second race. This second run, flagged out by the Swiss trainer Berlinger, was much more difficult and forced the runners to constantly change their rhythm. The course suited the SSV runners because it also included two “shot rides” and Bruggmann and Mattle had the fastest skis. They catapulted themselves from ranks 10 and 11 to the medal ranks; Thöni was third behind Håker and Hagn (+ 0.08 s) (0.49 s behind the Norwegian); Promising places were Zwilling (+ 0.64), Tritscher (+ 0.81) and Neureuther (+ 1.54 s) in places 4 to 6.

slalom

place	country	athlete	time (min)
1	ESP	Francisco Fernandez Ochoa	1:49.27
2	IT	Gustav Thöni	1:50.28
3	IT	Roland Thöni	1:50.30
4	FRA	Henri Duvillard	1:50.45
5	FRA	Jean Noël Augert	1:50.51
6	IT	Eberhard Schmalzl	1:50.83
7	AUT	David Gemini	1:51.97
8th	SUI	Edmund Bruggman	1:52.03
9	USA	Tyler Palmer	1:52.05
10	POLE	Andrzej Bachleda-Curuś	1:52.26
11	FRG	Christian Neureuther	1:52.90
13	SUI	Walter Tresch	1:53.51
14	AUT	Alfred Matt	1:53.68
15	SUI	Adolf Roesti	1:54,16

Date: February 13, 1:30 p.m.
Location: Teine
Start: 795 m, finish: 567 m
Altitude difference: 228 m, course length: 530 m
Gates: 71 (1st run), 75 (2nd run)

72 participants, 37 of them in the ranking. Eliminated among others: Willi Frommelt (LIE), Erik Håker (NOR), Alfred Hagn (FRG), Josef Loidl (AUT), Alain Penz (FRA), Max Rieger (FRG), Hansjörg Schlager (FRG), Andreas Sprecher (SUI) , Reinhard Tritscher (AUT).

As can be seen from the introduction, Harald Rofner was not allowed to start for the Austrian team, but due to the mode, according to which the actual slalom the day before was preceded by a classification slalom in five groups, four drivers were able to start. The top 15 in the world rankings, among which only David Zwilling was on the part of the ÖSV, did not need to compete for classification. Zwilling and Jean-Noël Augert and also Gustav Thöni and Tyler Palmer did as forerunners (whereby Augert sustained a muscle injury after colliding with a goalpost). The overall best time in the classification went to Masami Ishimura (JPN). The procedure for the Olympic slalom was designed in such a way that after the top 15 in the world rankings with start numbers 16 to 20, the group winners started the race, followed by another 15 according to the FIS ranking list, the runners-up of the individual "qualifying groups", after 15 again the FIS the third placed etc.

Ochoa laid the foundation for the gold medal in the first heat, which he won in 55.36s ahead of the two Frenchmen Augert (+0.41) and Duvillard (+0.56s); Roland Thöni was 5th (+ 0.78) and Gustav Thöni was 8th (+ 1.33 s). Although the latter set the best time in the second run (53.59), Ochoa was only 0.32 seconds behind.

results women

Departure

place	country	sportswoman	time (min)
1	SUI	Marie Theres Nadig	1:36.68
2	AUT	Annemarie Moser-Proell	1:37.00
3	USA	Susan Corrock	1:37.68
4	FRA	Isabelle Mir	1:38.62
5	FRG	Rosie Speiser	1:39.10
6	FRG	Rosi Mittermaier	1:39,32
7	SUI	Bernadette Zurbriggen	1:39.49
8th	FRA	Annie Famous	1:39.70
9	AUT	Bernadette Rauter	1:39.84
10	LIE	Martha Buehler	1:40.06
12	SUI	Marianne Hefti	1:40.38
13	FRG	Traudl Treichl	1:40.62
15	AUT	Brigitte Totschnig	1:40.73
18	SUI	Sylvia Stump	1:40.92
30	AUT	Monica Kaserer	1:42.59
36	FRG	Pamela Behr	1:44.22

Date: February 5, 1:30 p.m.
Location: Eniwa
Start: 870 m, finish: 336 m
Altitude difference: 534 m, route length: 2110 m

41 participants, all in the ranking.

giant slalom

place	country	sportswoman	time (min)
1	SUI	Marie Theres Nadig	1:29.90
2	AUT	Annemarie Moser-Proell	1:30.75
3	AUT	Wiltrud Drexel	1:32.35
4	CAN	Laurie Kreiner	1:32.48
5	FRG	Rosie Speiser	1:32.56
6	FRA	Florence Steuerer	1:32.59
7	GBR	Divine Galica	1:32.72
8th	FRA	Britt Lafforgue	1:32.80
9	FRG	Traudl Treichl	1:33.08
10	LIE	Martha Buehler	1:33.15
12	FRG	Rosi Mittermaier	1:33.39
13	AUT	Monica Kaserer	1:33.42
18	SUI	Bernadette Zurbriggen	1:34,17
25	FRG	Pamela Behr	1:35.87

Date: February 8, 1:30 p.m.
Location: Teine
Start: 982 m, finish: 625 m
Altitude difference: 357 m, route length: 1240 m
Gates: 51

42 participants, 35 of them in the ranking. Eliminated among others: Gertrud Gabl (AUT), Rita Good (SUI), Silvia Stump (SUI).

slalom

place	country	sportswoman	time (min)
1	USA	Barbara Ann Cochran	1:31,24
2	FRA	Daniele Debernard	1:31,26
3	FRA	Florence Steuerer	1:32.69
4	USA	Judy Crawford	1:33.95
5	AUT	Annemarie Moser-Proell	1:34.03
6	FRG	Pamela Behr	1:34.27
7	AUT	Monica Kaserer	1:34,36
8th	USA	Patty Boydstun	1:35.59
9	USA	Susan Corrock	1:35.76
	NOR	Toril Forland
17	FRG	Rosi Mittermaier	1:41.69
18	LIE	Martha Buehler	1:41.69

Date: February 11, 12:45 p.m.
Location: Teine
Start: 751 m, finish: 567 m
Altitude difference: 184 m, course length: 450 m
Gates: 56 (1st run), 52 (2nd run)

42 participants, 19 of them in the ranking. Eliminated among others: Marilyn Cochran (USA), Wiltrud Drexel (AUT), Gertrud Gabl (AUT), Rita Good (SUI), Michèle Jacot (FRA), Britt Lafforgue (FRA), Marie-Theres Nadig (SUI), Rosi Speiser ( FRG), Silvia Stump (SUI), Traudl Treichl (FRG), Bernadette Zurbriggen (SUI).

World Championship

Combination (Men)

place	country	athlete	Points
1	IT	Gustav Thöni	021:12
2	SUI	Walter Tresch	046.98
3	CAN	Jim Hunter	086.41
4	CAN	Reto Barrington	122.66
5	OUT	Malcolm Milne	134.70
6	ROME	Virgil Brenci	177.58

No Olympic medals were awarded for the combined competition, only World Championship medals. The positions were determined according to a points system from the results of the downhill, the giant slalom and the slalom.

combination (women)

place	country	sportswoman	Points
1	AUT	Annemarie Moser-Proell	25.64
2	FRA	Florence Steuerer	59.51
3	NOR	Toril Forland	80.95
4	AUT	Monica Kaserer	82.71
5	CAN	Laurie Kreiner	83.10
6	GBR	Gina Hathorn	86.39

No Olympic medals were awarded for the combined competition, only World Championship medals. The positions were determined according to a points system from the results of the downhill, the giant slalom and the slalom.

web links

• Overview of all races in the database of the International Ski Federation (English)
• Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics in the Olympedia database

itemizations

1. ↑ "Today Tempobolzerei announced" in "Tiroler Tageszeitung" No. 33 of February 10, 1972, page 9
2. ^ "Thöni: I no longer believed in gold" in "Tiroler Tageszeitung" No. 34 of February 11, 1972, page 9
3. ^ "Olympic slalom without Harald Rofner. IOC remained firm” in “Tiroler Tageszeitung” No. 35 of February 12, 1972, page 35; POS.: box in column 4
4. ↑ "Always new official disgrace" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna February 12, 1972, p. 15 ( The website of the Arbeiterzeitung is currently being redesigned. The linked pages are therefore not accessible. - Digital copy).
5. ↑ "The great world theater of Fis" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna February 13, 1972, p. 11 ( The website of the Arbeiterzeitung is currently being redesigned. The linked pages are therefore not accessible. - Digital copy).