Toni Sailer - Career

Career

Sailer, nicknamed "Blitz from Kitz" (Blitz = German word for "bolt of lightning" or "flash"), was born in Kitzbühel. He was the first skier at the Winter Olympics to win all three alpine skiing events, taking gold in the downhill, slalom, and giant slalom at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. He was the fifth athlete to win three gold medals in the same Olympic games, and became the most successful athlete at the 1956 Winter Olympics.

Two years later, Sailer won three gold medals and one silver at the four-event 1958 World Championships in Bad Gastein, Austria. He retired from competition in 1959; from 1957–71, he appeared in a handful of movies, most of them shallow comedies at least partly set in alpine regions, with Sailer showing off his talent. From 1972-76, he was chief trainer and technical director of the Austrian Skiing Association (ÖSV). Occasionally, as late as 2003 he was noted for appearing in a number of TV episodes or made for TV movies. He also sang professionally for a time, made 18 record albums.

For his contribution to the Olympic Movement, the International Olympic Committee awarded him the Olympic Order in 1985.

In January 2004 Sailer, although not associated with any political party, announced that he would run for Mayor of Kitzbühel. A few weeks later he withdrew his candidature, saying he had only now realized that being mayor was a full-time job. In 2006 he announced his retirement as chief of race of the Hahnenkamm Race, a position which he had occupied for 20 years.

Toni Sailer was named Austrian Sportspersonality of the year in 1956, 1957, and 1958., and "Austrian Sportspersonality of the century" in 1999. On 16 September 1958, he featured on the cover of Bravo magazine.