Marc Girardelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marc Girardelli
Marc Girardelli in April 2014
Born	(1963-07-18) 18 July 1963 (age 62) Lustenau, Austria
World Cup career
Seasons	1980 – 1996
Individual wins	46
Indiv. podiums	101
Overall titles	5
Discipline titles	10
Medal record International alpine ski competitions Representing  Luxembourg Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 2 0 World Championships 4 4 3 World Cup race podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Slalom 16 4 5 Giant 7 10 9 Super-G 9 4 5 Downhill 3 8 6 Combined 11 2 1 Parallel 0 0 0 Olympic Games Silver 1992 Albertville Super-G Silver 1992 Albertville Giant slalom World Championships Gold 1987 Crans-Montana Combined Gold 1989 Vail Combined Gold 1991 Saalbach Slalom Gold 1996 Sierra Nevada Combined Silver 1985 Bormio Slalom Silver 1987 Crans-Montana Giant slalom Silver 1987 Crans-Montana Super-G Silver 1993 Morioka Slalom Bronze 1985 Bormio Giant slalom Bronze 1989 Vail Slalom Bronze 1993 Morioka Combined

Marc Girardelli (born July 18, 1963) is a famous former alpine ski racer who was born in Austria but competed for Luxembourg. He was one of the best skiers in the world, winning five World Cup overall championships. He was a true all-around skier, meaning he was great at all five types of alpine races: slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and combined.

A Skiing Legend's Journey

Early Life and a Big Change

Marc Girardelli was born in Lustenau, Austria. He started skiing when he was only five years old and began racing at age seven. As a young skier, he was very talented. He won many local competitions in both alpine skiing and even ski jumping.

He skied for his home country of Austria until 1976. But then, he and his family had a disagreement with the Austrian ski team coaches. The coaches wanted him to go to a special ski school far from his home. His parents wanted him to stay in his hometown. Because of this, Girardelli made a big decision: he started competing for the small country of Luxembourg instead.

World Cup Success and Major Injuries

By 1981, Girardelli was becoming a top skier. He earned his first podium finish (a top-three spot) in a World Cup race. From then on, he was often one of the best in the slalom and giant slalom events.

He won his first World Cup race in 1983. But just two weeks later, he had a bad crash and seriously injured his left knee. This was a major setback, but he worked hard to recover. The very next season, he came back to win five slalom races.

Girardelli's career was full of amazing comebacks. In 1985, he won 11 races and his first World Cup overall title, which is given to the best skier across all events for the whole season. He won the overall title again in 1986 and 1989. In 1990, he had another major accident and suffered a severe back injury that could have ended his career. But once again, he recovered and won the overall title in 1991 and 1993.

Winning five overall World Cup titles was a record for male skiers for many years. In total, Girardelli won 46 World Cup races and stood on the podium 100 times.

Competing on the World Stage

Because Girardelli was an Austrian citizen skiing for Luxembourg, there were some special rules. He was not allowed to compete in the 1980 or 1984 Winter Olympics. But he was able to get special permission to race in the 1985 World Championships. There, he won a silver medal in slalom and a bronze in giant slalom.

He later became a citizen of Luxembourg, which allowed him to compete in the Olympics. At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, he won two silver medals. These were the first-ever Winter Olympic medals for Luxembourg.

Over his career, Girardelli won 11 medals at the World Championships, including four gold medals.

Life After Racing

Girardelli raced for the last time on December 20, 1996. After another knee injury, he announced his retirement in January 1997 at the age of 33.

Today, Girardelli is still involved in the world of skiing. He helps organize ski events and has his own brand of ski clothing for kids. He also works as an advisor for winter tourism in Bulgaria and is involved with the ski resort in Bansko.

Career Results and Achievements

World Cup Standings

This table shows where Girardelli ranked each season in the overall World Cup and in the different ski events. A "1" means he was the best in the world that year for that event.

^no season title awarded in combined in 1991, only one race completed

World Championship Results

• The Super-G race in 1993 was cancelled because of bad weather.

Olympic Results

See also

In Spanish: Marc Girardelli para niños

• Ski World Cup Most podiums & Top 10 results