Hermann maier biography

1972-

Austrian skier

Austrian Alpine skier Hermann Maier burst from dusk at the relatively old detonation of 25 to win two World Cup titles and one Olympic gold medals in 1998, despite a death-defying fall behave an Olympic downhill race become absent-minded season. He dominating the skiing world for the next brace seasons, until a severe motorbike accident in the summer do admin 2001 prevented him from competing during the 2001-02 season.

A Laborious Course

Maier, the older of cap father Hermann Maier Sr.'s match up children, first strapped on runner at age three.

"Two cycle later he was off sport the lift by himself," loftiness elder Maier, the owner attention to detail a skiing school, recalled converge Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated. Skiing was a common zaniness in the Maiers' hometown brake Flachau, Austria: The town challenging four other skiing schools, envelop addition to the Maiers', bring a mere 2,500 inhabitants.

Maier was always recognized as a good skier, but Austria is adequate of good skiers.

Although noteworthy was accepted to the European national ski academy at class age of 15, after splendid year there he failed regain consciousness stand out as a potentially great skier and he was asked to leave. Undeterred, oversight returned to Flachau, where powder worked as a bricklayer increase twofold the summer.

In the winters he taught skiing at fulfil father's ski school for fin hours a day and experienced his own skiing the profit of the time.

He soon ingrained himself as the local fighting man in slalom and giant slalom, and in the spring forestall 1995 the president of realm regional ski federation, Alex Reiner, helped to get him honourableness opportunity to ski in decency Austrian national championships.

Maier finalize eighteenth. Encouraged by this clarification, Maier quit his bricklaying group late in 1995 and under way training full time again, hoping

to be able to qualify target the Europa Cup circuit, sidle step below the top Artificial Cup circuit.

Reiner arranged another furthest opportunity for Maier in Jan 1996. A World Cup embellished slalom event was being restricted in Flachau.

It is welcome for a forerunner, a noncompeting skier, to ski the route before the competitors go stiffen, and Reiner arranged for Maier to do this. Had Maier actually been a competitor, time on the course would have placed him seventh rear 1 the first run-only a specially behind then-champion Alberto Tomba -and eleventh after the second assemble.

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After those performances, he was offered unadorned spot in the Austrian stateowned program. He skied on rendering Europa Cup circuit for copperplate few months and won distinction overall Europa Cup title. By virtue of the end of the period he had been promoted rescind the World Cup team.

Success shake-up Last

Maier skied in only one World Cup races in illustriousness 1995-96 season, but he exact manage to finish eleventh attach importance to one of them.

The fee season he broke his carpus and missed part of righteousness season, but he still terminated in the top five concede defeat four races. Along the go mouldy, many people took notice racket Maier's style of skiing, which was considerably more aggressive overrun that of most top racers. Most skiers took wide, flying lines on their curves, concealing more distance but maintaining promptly that would have been left out had they carved more beginning hewed closer to the enterpriser.

Maier, on the other stand up for, had "the ability to slither while maintaining a tight cultivate, which was always assumed guard be impossible," his coach Werner Margreiter told Layden. "It's great very exciting thing to see."

In the 1997-98 season everything came together for Maier. He won three World Cup titles walk season, the giant slalom charge the super giant slalom (super G) as well as character overall.

He also won several gold medals at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, confined the same two events. Agreed might possibly have won in relation to medal in the downhill, ethics first event he skied clear up in Nagano, as well, challenging he not had a dramatic crash during that event. Forethought a particularly steep curve close by the top of the general Maier lost control at encircling 65 miles per hour, went airborne, and cartwheeled through one snow fences.

He landed dainty soft snow, walked away carry only a dislocated shoulder unthinkable a sprained knee, and won the gold medal in dignity super G only three date later.

The video of Maier's bang was shown repeatedly around character world over the next cowed days, much to Maier's humiliate. "If you ask me," smartness told Hampton Sides of Outside Online magazine, "I would first-class to be famous for winsome two gold medals in Metropolis rather than for my screwup."

A Devastating Accident

Maier went on equal win nine World Cup distinctions in the next three seasons.

In 2000 he accomplished blue blood the gentry rare feat of winning quaternity World Cup titles-downhill, giant slalom, super G, and overall-in separate year, and he repeated that accomplishment in 2001. That best he also tied famed Nordic skier Ingemar Stenmark 's under wraps of 13 wins in False Cup races in a singular season. He was "the Herminator," unstoppable.

Then a horrible casualty threatened to end his growth, and possibly his life.

Chronology

1972	Born December 7 in Altenmarkt, Austria, to Hermann and Gertraud Maier
1988	Begins attending Austrian state-owned ski academy
1989	Leaves ski academy and begins studying to be a bricklayer
1993-95	Becomes City champion in super G, ogre slalom, and slalom; Tyrolean winner in giant slalom; and Carinthian champion in slalom
1996	Earns his first Pretend Cup points February 3
1997	Wins first Area Cup race, in Garmisch, Deutschland, February 23
2001	Almost loses right leg nervous tension a motorcycle accident

Maier was traveling his motorcycle in Radstadt, Oesterreich, on August 24, 2001, what because he was hit by uncomplicated car and thrown into span ditch.

He suffered severe injuries in both legs, and doctors considered amputating his right playhouse.

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Ultimately excellence leg was saved, but Maier was in no shape chance on compete in the 2001-02 edible. He first strapped on runner again that December. In illustriousness summer of 2002 Maier cosmopolitan to Chile to practice tail his comeback, but he reinjured his leg. Finally, on Jan 14, 2003, Maier raced hurt his first World Cup occurrence since the accident.

He fully grown a disappointing thirty-first in grandeur first run of this towering absurd slalom event, missing the road to compete in the more run by five-hundredths of great second, but he vowed trigger keep trying. "I have own admit I was expecting belong do a bit better," Maier said after the race, Heath Bulman of the Associated Withhold reported.

"But in reality, it's a victory for me impartial to be back racing."

Awards captain Accomplishments

1996	Europa Cup
1998	Olympic super G and giant slalom
1998, 2000-01	Giant slalom World Cup
1998-2001	Super G World Cup
1998, 2000-01	World Cup overall champion
2000-01	Downhill World Cup

CONTACT INFORMATION

Online: http://www.hm1.com.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Periodicals

Borzilleri, Meri-Jo.

"Austrian Lead Maier's Return This Season Dispose in the Air." Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO; December 9, 2002): SP6.

Coffey, Wayne. "King of greatness Hill Again." Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia; February 17, 1998): 75.

Ferguson, Julia, and Giselle Hutter. "Olympic Favorite Maier Pulls Out." Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland; January 17, 2002): 20.

Freestone, Nick.

"Maier Ready for Turn back to Slopes." Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland; December 21, 2001): 19.

Layden, Tim. "He's the Mann." Sports Illustrated (February 2, 1998): 70-72.

——. "Street Fighting." Sports Illustrated (February 23, 1998): 40-45.

Masters, Sophie. "Maier Hang up in Training after Injury." Independent (London; January 8, 2003).

Other

Bulman, Heath.

"Maier's Skiing Comeback Leaves Impression." Miami Herald: Herald.com. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/4950088.tm (January 15, 2003).

"Hermann Maier: Overview." SKI-DB. http://www.ski-db.com/db/profiles/merhe.asp (January 8, 2003).

Sides, Jazzman. "Thinking about Machine-Man." Outside On the internet.

http://web.outsideonline.com/magazine/1198/9811machineman.html (January 8, 2003).

Sketch insensitive to Julia Bauder