Maria Walliser facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Maria Walliser

Alpine skier
Disciplines	Speed events, giant slalom
Club	SC Libingen
Born	(1963-05-27) 27 May 1963 (age 62) Mosnang, Switzerland
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
World Cup debut	1983
Retired	1990
Olympics
Teams	2
Medals	3
World Championships
Teams	4
Medals	4 (3 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	8
Wins	25
Podiums	72
Overall titles	2
Discipline titles	5
Medal record Women's alpine skiing Representing  Switzerland World Cup race podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Slalom 0 0 1 Giant slalom 6 5 6 Downhill 14 10 13 Super-G 3 3 3 Combined 2 3 3 Olympic Games Silver 1984 Sarajevo Downhill Bronze 1988 Calgary Alpine Combined Bronze 1988 Calgary Giant slalom World Championships Gold 1987 Crans-Montana Downhill Gold 1987 Crans-Montana Super-G Gold 1989 Vail Downhill Bronze 1987 Crans-Montana Giant slalom

Maria Walliser (born 27 May 1963) is a famous former alpine skier from Switzerland. She was one of the world's best skiers during the 1980s, known for her incredible speed and skill on the slopes.

A Champion's Career

Maria Walliser grew up in Mosnang, Switzerland. She began her professional skiing career in 1980. Soon, she became part of a powerful Swiss ski team that included other stars like Erika Hess, Michela Figini, and Vreni Schneider. Together, these women were a dominant force in alpine skiing.

Walliser was especially good at speed events like the downhill and super-G, but she also excelled in giant slalom. Her hard work led to many amazing victories. She won the overall World Cup title twice in a row, in 1986 and 1987. This title is given to the best all-around skier of the season.

She also became a world champion three times, winning gold medals at the World Championships in 1987 and 1989. On top of that, she won three medals at the Olympic Games.

Walliser retired from professional skiing in 1990. By the end of her career, she had stood on the winner's podium 72 times in World Cup races, with 25 of those being first-place victories.

Major Achievements

The Crystal Globe is awarded to the winner of a World Cup season title. Walliser won seven of them.

Maria Walliser's trophy case is full of awards from the biggest competitions in skiing. She proved she was one of the best by winning in different types of races.

World Cup Titles

The World Cup is a season-long series of races. Winning a title means you were the most consistent skier in a specific discipline or overall. Walliser won seven titles, called Crystal Globes.

• Overall: 1986, 1987
• Downhill: 1984, 1986
• Super-G: 1987
• Giant Slalom: 1987
• Combined (a mix of downhill and slalom): 1986

World Championships

The World Championships are held every two years. Skiers from all over the world compete for medals.

• 1987 Crans-Montana, Switzerland:

|- align=center valign=middle bgcolor=white ||| {{{2}}}|| {{{3}}} Gold in Downhill

|- align=center valign=middle bgcolor=white ||| {{{2}}}|| {{{3}}} Gold in Super-G

|- align=center valign=middle bgcolor=white ||| {{{2}}}|| {{{3}}} Bronze in Giant Slalom

• 1989 Vail, USA:

|- align=center valign=middle bgcolor=white ||| {{{2}}}|| {{{3}}} Gold in Downhill

Olympic Games

The Olympics are the biggest dream for many athletes. Walliser competed in two Winter Olympics and brought home three medals for Switzerland.

• 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia:

|- align=center valign=middle bgcolor=white ||| {{{2}}}|| {{{3}}} Silver in Downhill

• 1988 Calgary, Canada:

|- align=center valign=middle bgcolor=white ||| {{{2}}}|| {{{3}}} Bronze in Giant Slalom

|- align=center valign=middle bgcolor=white ||| {{{2}}}|| {{{3}}} Bronze in Combined

Life After Skiing

After retiring from racing in 1990, Maria Walliser found a new way to help people. In 2000, she became the president of a Swiss health organization called "Die Stiftung Folsäure Offensive Schweiz." This group works to educate people about the importance of folic acid, a vital nutrient for good health.

See also

In Spanish: Maria Walliser para niños

• List of FIS Alpine Ski World Cup women's race winners