Gustav Thöni facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gustav Thöni

Alpine skier
Thöni in 1972
Disciplines	Giant slalom, slalom, downhill, combined
Club	Fiamme Gialle
Born	(1951-02-28) 28 February 1951 (age 74) Trafoi, South Tyrol, Italy
Height	173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
World Cup debut	11 December 1969 (age 18)
Retired	March 1980 (age 29)
Olympics
Teams	3 (1972, 1976, 1980)
Medals	3 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams	6 (1970–80) (includes three Olympics)
Medals	7 (5 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	11 (1970–80)
Wins	24
Podiums	69
Overall titles	4 (1971–73, '75)
Discipline titles	5 (3 GS, 2 SL)
Medal record World Cup race podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Slalom 8 15 9 Giant 11 7 8 Downhill 0 1 1 Combined 4 2 2 Parallel 1 0 0 International alpine ski competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 2 0 World Championships 5 2 0 Olympic Games Gold 1972 Sapporo Giant slalom Silver 1972 Sapporo Slalom Silver 1976 Innsbruck Slalom World Championships Gold 1972 Sapporo Combined Gold 1972 Sapporo Giant slalom Silver 1972 Sapporo Slalom Gold 1974 St. Moritz Giant slalom Gold 1974 St. Moritz Slalom Gold 1976 Innsbruck Combined Silver 1976 Innsbruck Slalom

Gustav Thöni (born February 28, 1951) is a famous Italian alpine ski racer who has now retired. He was one of the best skiers in the world during the 1970s.

A Skiing Legend

Gustav Thöni was born in a small village called Trafoi in South Tyrol, Italy. This area is known for its beautiful mountains and is a great place for skiing. Today, Gustav runs a hotel there.

He is considered one of the greatest Italian skiers ever. Gustav won three medals at the Olympic Games. He also won four overall World Cup titles in just five years. This is a huge achievement! Only a few other skiers, like Marcel Hirscher and Marc Girardelli, have won more overall titles.

Early Career and First Wins

Gustav Thöni was especially good at technical skiing events. These include the slalom and giant slalom. He made his World Cup debut in December 1968 when he was only 17 years old.

His first big win came in December 1969, in a giant slalom race in France. Even though he was still a teenager, he had an amazing first season in 1970. He won four races and finished on the podium nine times. He ended up third in the overall World Cup standings that year.

Gustav then won the overall World Cup title for three years in a row, from 1971 to 1973. He won it again in 1975. Later, other famous skiers like Ingemar Stenmark and Alberto Tomba became the top technical skiers.

World Championship Success

In 1974, Gustav Thöni finished second in the World Cup to his friend Piero Gros. However, that same year, he won two world titles. He became the world champion in both giant slalom and slalom at the 1974 World Championships. These wins were very important, even though they didn't count towards the World Cup standings.

Trying New Events

Even though Gustav focused on technical races, he sometimes competed in the downhill event. This is a speed event where skiers go very fast down the mountain. His best downhill result was a second-place finish in Austria in 1975. He lost to the Austrian skier Franz Klammer by only one-hundredth of a second! This close race even inspired a movie.

Gustav also won several combined events. These races combine results from a downhill and a slalom. He won combined world championship titles in 1972 and 1976.

Later Career and Retirement

Gustav Thöni's last slalom victory was in March 1975. He won his final World Cup race, a special "parallel slalom," in Italy. This win helped him secure the overall title that year. His last giant slalom win was in January 1976, and his final World Cup victory was in a combined event in January 1977.

He competed in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, where he finished eighth in the slalom. Gustav retired from World Cup skiing a month later in March 1980, when he was 29 years old.

After retiring, Gustav Thöni became a coach for another famous Italian skier, Alberto Tomba, from 1989 to 1996. He also worked as a technical director for the Italian men's national ski team.

Honors and Family

Gustav Thöni was chosen to carry the Italian flag at the opening ceremonies of the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. He also carried the flag at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy. In 1973 and 1974, ski journalists named him "Skieur d’Or," which means "Golden Skier."

His cousin, Roland Thöni, was also an alpine ski racer in the 1970s. Roland won a bronze medal in the slalom at the 1972 Olympics, where Gustav won a silver medal.

Gustav Thöni's Achievements

Gustav Thöni had an amazing career with many wins and titles. Here are some of his main achievements:

World Cup Season Titles

Gustav won 8 World Cup titles in total:

• 4 overall World Cup titles (meaning he was the best skier across all events for the season).
• 2 giant slalom titles.
• 2 slalom titles.

Olympic Medals

Gustav Thöni won three Olympic medals for Italy:

• Gold medal in Giant Slalom at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics.
• Silver medal in Slalom at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics.
• Silver medal in Slalom at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics.

Images for kids

• 

  Thöni in 1970

• 

  Thöni at age 18 in the slalom at the 1970 World Championships

See also

In Spanish: Gustav Thöni para niños

• Italian men gold medalist at the Olympics and World Championships
• Italy national alpine ski at the World championships
• Italian skiers most successful race winner

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