Vreni Schneider facts for kids
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| Disciplines | Technical Events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Club | SC Elm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 November 1964 (age 60) Elm, Switzerland |
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| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup debut | 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 5 (3 gold) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 6 (3 gold) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Podiums | 101 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Verena "Vreni" Schneider (born November 26, 1964) is a famous retired ski racer from Switzerland. She is known as one of the best alpine skiers ever. Many people consider her the most successful female ski racer from her home country. She was even voted "Swiss Sportswoman of the Century"!
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Vreni Schneider grew up in a town called Elm. Her father was a shoemaker. When Vreni was a teenager, her mother sadly passed away from cancer. This was a very difficult time for Vreni. She decided to pause her ski career and leave school. She wanted to help take care of her family's home.
Vreni's Amazing Ski Career
Vreni started her World Cup journey when she was 20 years old. She quickly became a top athlete. She won the overall alpine skiing World Cup three times. This means she was the best skier across all events in those seasons.
Winning Many Races
Vreni was especially good at Slalom and Giant slalom. She won 11 World Cup titles in these specific events. She also won an amazing 55 World Cup races! This puts her among the top female skiers of all time. Only a few others, like Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, have won more.
Olympic and World Championship Success
Vreni also shined at the biggest competitions. She won five medals at the Winter Olympics. Three of these were gold medals! She won gold in Slalom and Giant Slalom at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. She also won Slalom gold at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.
At the World Championships, Vreni earned six medals. Three of these were gold. She won Giant Slalom gold in 1987 and 1989. She also won Slalom gold in 1991.
Setting Records
During the 1988–89 season, Vreni set a new record. She won 14 World Cup races in just one season! This record stood for a long time. Another great skier, Mikaela Shiffrin, later broke it in the 2018–19 season.
Life After Racing
Vreni Schneider retired from ski racing in April 1995. She had enjoyed eleven very successful seasons. Today, she still loves skiing! She runs a ski and snowboard school in her hometown of Elm. She also owns a sports equipment shop in Glarus.
Vreni in Pop Culture
Vreni Schneider is so famous that she was even mentioned in a song! The band Half Man Half Biscuit sang about her in their song 'Uffington Wassail'. The song says, "Vreni Schneider – you’re my downhill lady! Vreni Schneider – you’re the queen of the slopes!" This song is on their album Trouble Over Bridgwater, which came out in 2000.
World Cup Achievements
Vreni Schneider had an incredible career in the World Cup.
Season Titles
Vreni won a total of 14 World Cup titles.
- 3 Overall World Cup titles (meaning she was the best skier across all events for the season).
- 6 Slalom discipline titles.
- 5 Giant Slalom discipline titles.
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Season |
| Discipline | |
| 1986 | Giant slalom |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Giant slalom |
| 1989 | Overall |
| Slalom | |
| Giant slalom | |
| 1990 | Slalom |
| 1991 | Giant slalom |
| 1992 | Slalom |
| 1993 | Slalom |
| 1994 | Overall |
| Slalom | |
| 1995 | Overall |
| Slalom | |
| Giant slalom |
Season Standings
This table shows how Vreni placed in different ski disciplines each season.
| Season | |||||||
| Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined | |
| 1985 | 20 | 9 | 22 | 3 | — | — | 17 |
| 1986 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 14 | — | 5 |
| 1987 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 2 |
| 1988 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 22 | — | 5 |
| 1989 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | — | 3 |
| 1990 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 25 | — | — |
| 1991 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 5 |
| 1995 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 23 | 2 |
World Championship Results
Vreni Schneider competed in several World Championships. Here are her results:
| Year | |||||||
| Age | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team Event | |
| 1985 | 20 | — | 12 | N/A | — | — | N/A |
| 1987 | 22 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 4 | N/A |
| 1989 | 24 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | N/A |
| 1991 | 26 | 1 | 7 | — | — | 3 | N/A |
Olympic Results
Vreni Schneider competed in three Winter Olympic Games. She won five Olympic medals, including three gold!
| Year | |||||||
| Age | Slalom | Giant slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team Event | |
| 1988 | 23 | 1 | 1 | — | — | DNF2 | N/A |
| 1992 | 27 | 7 | DNF1 | — | — | — | N/A |
| 1994 | 29 | 1 | 3 | — | 33 | 2 | N/A |
See also
In Spanish: Vreni Schneider para niños
