Erika Mahringer facts for kids
 Erika Mahringer in 1954 |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's Alpine skiing | ||
| Bronze | 1948 St. Moritz | Slalom |
| Bronze | 1948 St. Moritz | Combined |
Erika "Riki" Mahringer (born November 16, 1924 – died October 30, 2018) was a famous Austrian alpine skier. She was known for her amazing skills on the snowy slopes. Riki won several medals at the Winter Olympics and World Championships. She also helped start a special ski school for kids!
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Her Amazing Ski Career
Riki Mahringer was a top athlete in alpine skiing. This sport involves racing down snowy mountains on skis. She competed in two Winter Olympic Games. These were in 1948 and 1952.
Olympic Success
At the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Riki won two bronze medals. A bronze medal means she finished third! She earned one in the slalom event. This is a race where skiers go through gates. She also won bronze in the Alpine combined competition. This event mixes different types of ski races. In the downhill race, she finished 19th.
Four years later, Riki competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics. She had a great performance in the downhill event. She finished fourth, just missing another medal! She also competed in the giant slalom. Here she placed 17th. In the slalom race, she finished 22nd.
World Championships and National Titles
Riki Mahringer also did very well at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships. In 1950, she won two silver medals in Aspen, USA. These were for the slalom and downhill races. She also finished fourth in the giant slalom event.
She was a champion in her home country, Austria, many times. Riki won six Austrian National titles. She was the downhill champion in 1948, 1951, and 1952. In 1951, she won the slalom, giant slalom, and Alpine Combined titles. Because of her great achievements, she was named the Austrian Sports Personality of the Year in 1951.
Life After Racing: A Family of Skiers
Riki Mahringer was born in Linz, Austria. In 1954, she married another talented skier, Ernst Spiess. Together, they started the Mayrhofen Ski School. This school teaches people how to ski.
In 1955, they opened something very special. It was called "Riki’s Skikindergarten." This was the world's first ski school just for children! Riki and Ernst had two children, Uli Spiess and Nicola Spiess. Both of their children also became famous alpine ski racers, just like their parents!
See also
- Nicola Spiess (daughter)
- Uli Spiess (son)
