Egon Zimmermann facts for kids
| Alpine skier | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disciplines | Downhill, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combined |
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| Club | SK Arlberg | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 8 February 1939 Lech, Vorarlberg, Austria |
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| Died | 23 August 2019 (aged 80) Lech |
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| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup debut | January 1967 (age 27) inaugural season |
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| Retired | March 1968 (age 29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 2 – (1964, 1968) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 1 (1 gold) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 4 – (1962, '64, '66, '68) (includes two Olympics) |
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| Medals | 3 (2 gold) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 2 – (1967, 1968) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Podiums | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 0 – (17th in 1967) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 0 – (9th in DH, 1967) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Egon Zimmermann (born February 8, 1939 – died August 23, 2019) was a famous alpine ski racer from Austria. He was sometimes called Egon Zimmermann II. He won a gold medal at the Olympics and many other awards in professional ski races.
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Becoming a Ski Champion
Egon grew up on a farm in a place called Lech, in Vorarlberg, Austria. He lived there with his two brothers. As Egon got older, Lech became a popular ski resort. His family turned their farm house into a small hotel for visitors.
Egon's childhood was during a tough time in Austria after World War II. Because of this, he didn't get formal ski training. His skis were often old and used by many people before him.
When he was 15, his father wanted him to learn a job. So, Egon went to Paris to study to become a chef. But he loved skiing! When he was 18, he came back to Austria. In 1958, he won every race at the Junior Championships. He was then chosen for the National ski team. Egon said this was like a "childhood dream" coming true, a dream that had been paused by his time in the kitchen.
Winning Big: World Championships and Olympics
Egon Zimmermann showed how talented he was at the 1962 World Championships in Chamonix, France. He won two medals there. He took home a gold medal in the giant slalom race. He also earned a bronze medal in the downhill race.
In 1963, journalists from Europe named him the "Skier of the Year." This showed how much people admired his skills.
Olympic Gold in 1964
The 1964 Winter Olympics were held in Austria, Egon's home country. Many people thought Egon would win a gold medal because he was so good. The downhill course at Patscherkofel was very challenging. It was even nicknamed the "Course of Fear." But Egon was amazing! He won the downhill race by a good amount of time, 0.74 seconds faster than the next skier.
He did not race in the slalom event. He also did not finish the giant slalom race. Even though he didn't win every event like his fellow Austrian skier Toni Sailer did in 1956, Egon was still very famous. He even appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in the United States in February 1964.
Life After Skiing
After his racing career, Egon Zimmermann owned a hotel in Lech am Arlberg, the same town where he grew up. He also helped start a ski and snowboard company called Zimmerman’s ski and snowboard in 1969.
Later in his life, Egon had a health condition called multiple sclerosis. Egon Zimmermann passed away on August 23, 2019, when he was 80 years old.
