Name |
FIS World Cup |
FIS AlpineSki World |
Olympic Games |
Nancy Greene |
14 |
4 |
2 |
Steve Podborsky |
8 |
1 |
1 |
Ken Read |
5 |
0 |
0 |
Switzerland
Switzerland can pride itself to have organized the world’s first downhill race (1911) and the first modern slalom race (1921). Since 1930 Switzerland also hosts the race with the longest downhill course in the world (Lauberhorn). Its length is of over 2.7 miles, allowing top speeds up to 100 mph. Among the 71 winners of this prestigious race are 27 Swiss and one Canadian (Ken Read).
A milestone in the Swiss history of winter sports was the second Winter Olympics (1928) in St. Moritz, however, held without alpine skiing events. Alpine skiing made its Olympic debut 20 years later, again in St. Moritz, where Swiss skiers won five of the 12 medals.
The greatest ski racer in Swiss history is Pirmin Zurbriggen. His career lasted 10 years (1981-1990). During that time he won 40 World Cup races, four overall World Cup titles and nine World Championship medals. Zurbriggen was also the first skier to win World Cup races in all five disciplines – a success which was only achieved by a handful of other racers. He is still – even 27 years after he left the World Cup – the most famous skier in Switzerland.
The next two names on the all-time winners list of Swiss ski racers are two female skiers, Vreni Schneider and Erika Hess.
Vreni Schneider, the most successful Swiss female ski racer, is also the third most successful female ski racer ever (after Lindsey Vonn and Annemarie Moser-Pröll). Schneider made her World Cup debut at the age of 20. She won the overall alpine skiing World Cup three times and finished 55 World Cup races as a winner. She won five medals at the Winter Olympics and six medals at the World Championships. During the 1988/89 season she won 14 World Cup races. Nobody had ever achieved this before and this record is still unbeaten.
Erika Hess dominated the field in the 1980s with 31 World Cup victories, five slalom titles and two overall titles. She also won six World Championship gold medals between 1982 and 1987, as well as one Olympic medal. She retired at age 25.
Name |
FIS World Cup |
FIS Alpine Ski World |
Olympic Games |
Pirmin Zurbriggen |
40 |
9 |
2 |
Vreni Schneider |
55 |
6 |
5 |
Erika Hess |
31 |
6 |
1 |