Georg Thoma facts for kids
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Thoma at the 1966 World Championships
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 20 August 1937 (age 87) Hinterzarten, Germany |
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| Height | 167 cm | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 68 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Nordic combined | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | SC Hinterzarten | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Georg Thoma was born on August 20, 1937. He is a famous German athlete who competed in Nordic combined skiing and ski jumping. Nordic combined is a winter sport that mixes two different events: cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Georg Thoma was especially good at the jumping part.
He made history at the 1960 Winter Olympics. He won a gold medal, becoming the first athlete from outside Scandinavia to win in Nordic combined. This was a huge achievement! Because of his success, he was named the German Sportsman of the Year in 1960.
A Champion Skier
Olympic and World Wins
Georg Thoma continued his amazing career. At the 1964 Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal. He also had the special honor of carrying the German flag at the opening ceremony. This is a big deal for any athlete.
His success didn't stop there. In 1966, he won the World Championships title in Nordic combined. This showed he was one of the best in the world. He was also a three-time German champion in ski jumping, winning in 1960, 1961, and 1963.
Holmenkollen Medal
Georg Thoma also won the Nordic combined event at the Holmenkollen ski festival four times in a row, from 1963 to 1966. The Holmenkollen ski festival is a very old and respected competition in Norway.
For all his achievements in Nordic combined, Georg Thoma received the Holmenkollen medal in 1964. This is one of the highest honors in skiing. He shared this award with other great skiers like Veikko Kankkonen, Eero Mäntyranta, and Halvor Næs.
Life After Sports
After he stopped competing, Georg Thoma worked as a postman in his hometown. Later, he became a television commentator, sharing his knowledge of skiing with viewers. He was also one of the first German winter athletes to earn money through sponsorships. This helped him make a living from his sport.
Georg Thoma is also related to another famous ski jumper, Dieter Thoma. Dieter is Georg's nephew, continuing the family's tradition in winter sports.
