Gold medalist skier hermann
- •
Maier, Hermann
1972-
Austrian skier
Austrian Alpine skier Hermann Maier burst from obscurity at the relatively old age of 25 to win three World Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals in 1998, despite a death-defying fall in an Olympic downhill race that season. He dominating the skiing world for the next three seasons, until a severe motorcycle accident in the summer of 2001 prevented him from competing during the 2001-02 season.
A Difficult Course
Maier, the older of his father Hermann Maier Sr.'s two children, first strapped on skis at age three. "Two days later he was off riding the lift by himself," the elder Maier, the owner of a skiing school, recalled to Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated. Skiing was a common passion in the Maiers' hometown of Flachau, Austria: The town had four other skiing schools, in addition to the Maiers', for a mere 2,500 inhabitants.
Maier was always recognized as a good skier, but Austria is full of good skiers. Although he was accepted to the Austrian national ski academy at the age of 15, after a year there he failed to stand out as
- •
Hermann Maier
Austrian alpine skier (born 1972)
"Herminator" redirects here. For other uses, see Hermanator.
Hermann Maier during the Austrian Sportspersonalities of the Year awards in November 2009. | |
| Born | (1972-12-07) 7 December 1972 (age 52) Altenmarkt im Pongau, Salzburg, Austria |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Alpine skier |
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Disciplines | Downhill, super-G, giant slalom, combined |
| Club | USC Flachau – Salzburg |
| World Cup debut | 10 February 1996 (age 23) |
| Retired | October 2009 (age 36) |
| Website | hm1.com |
| Teams | 2 (1998, 2006) |
| Medals | 4 (2 gold) |
| Teams | 6 (1999–2009) |
| Medals | 6 (3 gold) |
| Seasons | 12 (1997–2001, 2003-2009) |
| Wins | 54 |
| Podiums | 96 |
| Overall titles | 4 (1998, 2000, 2001, 2004) |
| Discipline titles | 10 (2 DH, 5 SG, 3 GS) |
Hermann Maier (born 7 December 1972) is an Austrian former World Cup champion alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist. Nicknamed the "Herminator", Maier ranks among the greatest alpine ski racers in history, with four overall World Cup titles (1998, 2000, 2001, 2004)
- •
Hermann Maier
Maier went on to win nine World Cup titles in the next three seasons. In 2000 he accomplished the rare feat of winning four World Cup titles-downhill, giant slalom, super G, and overall-in one year, and he repeated this accomplishment in 2001. That year he also tied famed Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark's record of 13 wins in World Cup races in a single season. He was "the Herminator," unstoppable. Then a horrible accident threatened to end his career, and possibly his life.
Maier was riding his motorcycle in Radstadt, Austria, on August 24, 2001, when he was hit by a car and thrown into a ditch. He suffered severe injuries in both legs, and doctors considered amputating his right leg. Ultimately the leg was saved, but Maier was in no shape to compete in the 2001-02 season. He first strapped on skis again that December. In the summer of 2002 Maier traveled to Chile to practice for his comeback, but he reinjured his leg. Finally, on January 14, 2003, Maier raced in his first World Cup event since the accident. He finished a disappointing thirty-first in the first r
Copyright ©mobthaw.pages.dev 2025