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"Herminator" redirects here. For other uses, see Hermanator.
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Hermann Maier
Alpine skier
Hermann Maier (Gala-Nacht des Sports 2009).jpg
Hermann Maier during the Austrian Sportspersonalities of the Year awards in November 2009.
Disciplines Downhill, super-G, giant slalom, combined
Club USC Flachau – Salzburg
Born (1972-12-07) 7 December 1972 (age 52)
Altenmarkt im Pongau, Salzburg, Austria
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
World Cup debut 10 February 1996 (age 23)
Retired October 2009 (age 36)
Website hm1.com
Olympics
Teams 2 (1998, 2006)
Medals 4 (2 gold)
World Championships
Teams 6 (1999–2009)
Medals 6 (3 gold)
World Cup
Seasons 12 (1997–2001, 2003-2009)
Wins 54
Podiums 96
Overall titles 4 (1998, 2000, 2001, 2004)
Discipline titles 10 (2 DH, 5 SG, 3 GS)
Medal record
International alpine ski competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 1 1
World Championships 3 2 1
World Cup race podiums
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Slalom 0 0 0
Giant 14 5 9
Super-G 24 10 4
Downhill 15 5 5
Combined 1 1 2
Parallel 0 0 1
Olympic Games
Gold 1998 Nagano Super-G
Gold 1998 Nagano Giant slalom
Silver 2006 Turin Super-G
Bronze 2006 Turin Giant slalom
World Championships
Gold 1999 Vail Downhill
Gold 1999 Vail Super-G
Gold 2005 Bormio Giant slalom
Silver 2001 St. Anton Downhill
Silver 2003 St. Moritz Super-G
Bronze 2001 St. Anton Super-G

Hermann Maier (born on December 7, 1972) is an Austrian former alpine ski racer. He was a World Cup champion and won Olympic gold medals. People nicknamed him the "Herminator" because he was so strong and determined.

Maier is one of the best alpine ski racers ever. He won four overall World Cup titles in 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2004. He also earned two Olympic gold medals in 1998 and three World Championship titles. He won 54 World Cup races, which puts him third on the men's all-time list.

Hermann Maier's Early Life

Hermann Maier didn't start out as a superstar in ski racing. When he was 15, he was sent home from a ski academy. They told him he was too small to succeed in the sport.

He went back home to Flachau and worked at his father's ski school. In the summer, he was a bricklayer, and in winter, he taught skiing. He became a local champion in Salzburg and Tyrol. But he still couldn't join Austria's main World Cup ski team.

Everything changed on January 6, 1996. He was a "forerunner" in a World Cup race, meaning he skied the course before the actual competitors. Even though he wasn't officially racing, his time was the 12th fastest! This amazing performance got the attention of the Austrian Ski Federation. Just two days later, he raced in his first Europa Cup event and finished second. He won the next race. Even though he started late in the season, he won the overall Europa Cup title.

Hermann Maier's Ski Career

Maier made his first World Cup appearance on February 10, 1996, when he was 23. He quickly became known for his powerful and daring style. He was also famous for his strength and hard work.

Olympic Glory and a Big Crash

In February 1997, Maier won his first World Cup race. Then, at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, he won two gold medals in giant slalom and super-G. This happened just days after a shocking crash in the downhill race. He flew off the course, tumbled many times, and crashed into safety nets. Amazingly, he walked away from it! This crash and his quick comeback made him famous worldwide. He even appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is known as "The Terminator".

In 1998, Maier won the overall World Cup title. He also won the season titles for super-G and giant slalom.

Dominating the World Cup

In 2000, he won the overall World Cup title again. He also won the season titles in downhill, super-G, and giant slalom. He scored 2000 points that season, which was a record for male alpine skiers for many years.

He continued his success in 2001, winning another overall World Cup title. He also won three more season titles in downhill, super-G, and giant slalom. He won 13 World Cup races that year.

The Motorcycle Accident and Comeback

Maier's racing career almost ended on August 24, 2001. He had a serious motorcycle accident. Doctors nearly had to remove his lower right leg, but they performed a lot of surgery instead. Most people thought he would never race again. He missed the entire 2002 season, including the 2002 Winter Olympics.

But Hermann Maier is a fighter. He returned to racing in January 2003. Just two weeks later, he won a super-G race in Kitzbühel, Austria. In 2004, his first full season back, he won the super-G title and his fourth overall World Cup title. He even received an award for the "Comeback of the Year."

Later Career and Retirement

In October 2005, he won a giant slalom race, reaching 51 World Cup victories. This placed him among the top skiers in history.

In 2009, Maier won his 54th World Cup race in Lake Louise. It was his first win in almost three years, and it happened just before his 36th birthday. Later that year, after 13 years of competing, Hermann Maier announced his retirement from ski racing.

Hermann Maier's World Cup Results

Hermann Maier won many titles and races during his career.

Season Titles

He won 14 season titles in total: 4 overall, 2 in downhill, 5 in super-G, and 3 in giant slalom.

Season Discipline
1998 Overall
Super-G
Giant slalom
1999 Super-G
2000 Overall
Downhill
Super-G
Giant slalom
2001 Overall
Downhill
Super-G
Giant slalom
2004 Overall
Super-G

Season Standings

This table shows his ranking in different disciplines each season.

Season Age Overall Slalom Giant
slalom		 Super-G Downhill Combined
1996 23 106 — 52 34 — —
1997 24 21 — 15 4 — —
1998 25 1 39 1 1 2 2
1999 26 3 — 3 1 6 6
2000 27 1 — 1 1 1 2
2001 28 1 — 1 1 1 —
2002 29 injured in August 2001 in a motorcycle accident, out for entire season
2003 30 45 — — 19 25 —
2004 31 1 — 17 1 3 10
2005 32 3 — 4 2 3 9
2006 33 6 — 8 2 7 42
2007 34 19 — 16 6 18 —
2008 35 21 — 30 10 16 —
2009 36 26 — — 4 21 —

Race Victories

Hermann Maier won 54 World Cup races. This includes 15 downhill, 24 super-G, 14 giant slalom, and 1 combined race. He also had 96 podium finishes (top three).

Downhill Wins

  • 15 wins
  • 25 podiums
Season Date Location
1998 29 Dec 1997 Bormio, Italy
16 Jan 1998 Wengen, Switzerland
1999 29 Dec 1998 Bormio, Italy
2000 27 Nov 1999 Beaver Creek, USA
8 Jan 2000 Chamonix, France
29 Jan 2000 Garmisch, Germany
2001 2 Dec 2000 Beaver Creek, USA
9 Dec 2000 Val d'Isère, France
20 Jan 2001 Kitzbühel, Austria
2 Mar 2001 Kvitfjell, Norway
8 Mar 2001 Åre, Sweden
2004 6 Dec 2003 Beaver Creek, USA
14 Feb 2004 St. Anton, Austria
2005 5 Mar 2005 Kvitfjell, Norway
2006 28 Jan 2006 Garmisch, Germany

Giant Slalom Wins

  • 14 wins
  • 28 podiums
Season Date Location
1998 25 Nov 1997 Park City, USA
6 Jan 1998 Saalbach, Austria
13 Jan 1998 Adelboden, Switzerland
1999 25 Oct 1998 Sölden, Austria
12 Jan 1999 Adelboden, Switzerland
2000 31 Oct 1999 Tignes, France
24 Nov 1999 Beaver Creek, USA
5 Feb 2000 Todtnau, Germany
2001 29 Oct 2000 Sölden, Austria
10 Dec 2000 Val d'Isère, France
9 Jan 2001 Adelboden, Switzerland
15 Feb 2001 Shiga Kōgen, Japan
10 Mar 2001 Åre, Sweden
2006 23 Oct 2005 Sölden, Austria
 

Super-G Wins

  • 24 wins
  • 38 podiums
Season Date Location
1997 23 Feb 1997 Garmisch, Germany
1998 6 Dec 1997 Beaver Creek, USA
10 Jan 1998 Schladming, Austria
11 Jan 1998
1 Feb 1998 Garmisch, Germany
1999 13 Dec 1998 Val d'Isère, France
21 Dec 1998 Innsbruck, Austria
9 Jan 1999 Schladming, Austria
7 Mar 1999 Kvitfjell, Norway
2000 28 Nov 1999 Beaver Creek, USA
5 Dec 1999 Lake Louise, Canada
21 Jan 2000 Kitzbühel, Austria
16 Mar 2000 Bormio, Italy
2001 26 Nov 2000 Lake Louise, Canada
19 Jan 2001 Kitzbühel, Austria
4 Mar 2001 Kvitfjell, Norway
2003 27 Jan 2003 Kitzbühel, Austria
2004 30 Nov 2003 Lake Louise
1 Feb 2004 Garmisch, Germany
11 Mar 2004 Sestriere, Italy
2005 24 Jan 2005 Kitzbühel, Austria
6 Mar 2005 Kvitfjell, Norway
2006 20 Jan 2006 Kitzbühel, Austria
2009 30 Nov 2008 Lake Louise, Canada

Combined Wins

  • 1 win
  • 4 podiums
Season Date Location
1998 18 Jan 1998 Veysonnaz, Switzerland

World Championship Results

Hermann Maier won 3 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal at the World Championships.

  Year    Age   Slalom   Giant 
 Slalom 		 Super G Downhill Combined
1999 26 — DNF2 1 1 —
2001 28 — 4 3 2 —
2003 30 — — 2 8 —
2005 32 — 1 4 17 —
2007 34 — 21 7 13 —
2009 36 — — 18 6 —

Olympic Results

Hermann Maier won 2 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medal at the Olympic Games.

  Year    Age   Slalom   Giant 
 Slalom 		 Super G Downhill Combined
1998 25 — 1 1 DNF —
2006 33 — 3 2 6 —

Beyond Skiing

Hermann Maier also competed in other sports. In 2001, he won the American "Superstars" competition, which tests athletes in various sports. He often appeared in TV commercials for his sponsor bank, Raiffeisen. His brother, Alexander Maier, also competed for Austria in the Winter Olympics.

In 2003, Hermann Maier even rode the opening part of the 2003 Tour de France bicycle race. He completed a 6.5 km (about 4 miles) time trial.

Images for kids

  • Hermann Maier 2

    Maier in 2006

Videos

  • YouTube.com – Hahnenkamm (full course) – 9th place – January 24, 2004
  • YouTube.com – 1998 Olympics – Nagano downhill (crash) & giant slalom (2nd run) – gold medal
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