Josef Walcher facts for kids
| Alpine skier | ||||||||||||||
Walcher in December 1977
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| Disciplines | Downhill | |||||||||||||
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| Born | 8 December 1954 Schladming, Styria, Austria |
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| Died | 22 January 1984 (aged 29) Schladming, Styria, Austria |
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| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||
| World Cup debut | December 1972 (age 18) | |||||||||||||
| Retired | March 1982 (age 27) | |||||||||||||
| Olympics | ||||||||||||||
| Teams | 2 – (1976, 1980) | |||||||||||||
| Medals | 0 | |||||||||||||
| World Championships | ||||||||||||||
| Teams | 3 – (1976, 1978, 1980) | |||||||||||||
| Medals | 1 (1 gold) | |||||||||||||
| World Cup | ||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 10 – (1973–1982) | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 5 – (5 DH) | |||||||||||||
| Podiums | 13 – (13 DH) | |||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 0 – (7th in 1978) | |||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 0 – (2nd DH: 1977, 1978) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Josef "Sepp" Walcher (born December 8, 1954 – died January 22, 1984) was an amazing Austrian alpine ski racer. He was a top athlete in the downhill event. This is where skiers race down a mountain at very high speeds! Sepp won a gold medal at the World Championships in 1978 in Garmisch, Germany.
Sepp was born in Schladming, Styria. He started his World Cup career in December 1972, just after his 18th birthday. Only two months later, he earned his first World Cup points. He even finished second in a race in St. Moritz, Switzerland!
Contents
Sepp Walcher's Skiing Career
Sepp Walcher got his first World Cup victory in January 1977 in Morzine, France. This was his seventh time finishing in the top three. His best years were 1977 and 1978. In both these years, he finished second overall in the downhill standings, right behind his teammate Franz Klammer.
Just a week before winning his gold medal at the World Championships in 1978, Sepp won two downhill races in a row! These wins happened in Kitzbühel, Austria, which is a very famous and challenging ski course.
Retirement and Legacy
Sepp Walcher stopped racing after the 1982 season. He had achieved a lot, with five World Cup victories and thirteen times finishing on the podium. Sadly, two years later, in 1984, he passed away at age 29 in a skiing accident during a charity race in his hometown of Schladming. He is remembered as a brave and talented skier.
World Cup Results
This table shows how Sepp Walcher performed in the World Cup seasons.
Season Standings
| Season | Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant Slalom |
Super G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 18 | 28 | — | — | not run |
11 | not awarded |
| 1974 | 19 | 29 | — | — | 11 | ||
| 1975 | 20 | 23 | — | — | 12 | ||
| 1976 | 21 | 30 | — | — | 13 | — | |
| 1977 | 22 | 8 | — | — | 2 | not awarded |
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| 1978 | 23 | 7 | — | — | 2 | ||
| 1979 | 24 | 39 | — | — | 13 | ||
| 1980 | 25 | 22 | — | — | 7 | — | |
| 1981 | 26 | 41 | — | — | 14 | — | |
| 1982 | 27 | 50 | — | — | 18 | — |
Race Podiums
Sepp Walcher won 5 World Cup races and finished in the top three (podium) 13 times, all in the downhill event.
| Season | Date | Location | Discipline | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 11 Feb 1973 |  St. Moritz, Switzerland |
Downhill | 2nd |
| 1974 | 18 Dec 1973 |  Zell am See, Austria |
Downhill | 3rd |
| 1975 | 5 Jan 1975 |  Garmisch, West Germany |
Downhill | 3rd |
| 1976 | 25 Jan 1976 | Kitzbühel, Austria |
Downhill | 3rd |
| 1977 | 18 Dec 1976 |  Val Gardena, Italy |
Downhill | 2nd |
| 30 Jan 1977 |  Morzine, France |
Downhill | 2nd | |
| 31 Jan 1977 | Downhill | 1st | ||
| 12 Mar 1977 |  Heavenly Valley, USA |
Downhill | 1st | |
| 1978 | 11 Dec 1977 | Val d'Isère, France |
Downhill | 3rd |
| 20 Jan 1978 | Kitzbühel, Austria |
Downhill | 1st | |
| 21 Jan 1978 | Downhill | 1st | ||
| 1979 | 16 Dec 1978 | Val Gardena, Italy |
Downhill | 1st |
| 1980 | 18 Jan 1980 | Wengen, Switzerland |
Downhill | 2nd |
World Championship Results
From 1948 to 1980, the Winter Olympics were also counted as the World Championships for alpine skiing.
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant Slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 21 | — | — | not run |
9 | — |
| 1978 | 23 | — | 27 | 1 | — | |
| 1980 | 25 | — | — | — ^ | — |
Olympic Results 
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant Slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 21 | — | — | not run | 9 | not run |
| 1980 | 25 | — | — | — ^ |
^ Sepp Walcher was part of the downhill team in 1980. However, he was replaced by another skier, Leonhard Stock, who went on to win the gold medal!
