Alpine skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics

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Alpine Skiing
at the V Olympic Winter Games
StMoritz from Corvatsch.jpg
St. Moritz sixty years later, in 2008
Venue Piz Nair,
St. Moritz
Graubünden, Switzerland
Dates2–5 February 1948
Competitors174 from 25 nations
  1936
1952  

At the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, the six alpine skiing events were held on Piz Nair from Monday, 2 February to Thursday, 5 February 1948. [1] [2]

After these games, the giant slalom was added and the combined event was dropped as an Olympic medal event for four decades, until 1988. From 1956 through 1980, the combined continued as an FIS medal event for the concurrent World Championships, using the results from three events, conducted as a "paper race."

Henri Oreiller of France earned a medal in all three events, with two golds and a bronze. Trude Beiser of Austria and Gretchen Fraser of the United States both won two medals, a gold and a silver each.

The first Olympics after World War II did not invite Germany or Japan.

Medal summary

Men's events

EventGoldSilverBronze
Downhill
details
Henri Oreiller
Flag of France.svg  France
2:55.0 Franz Gabl
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
2:59.1 Rolf Olinger
Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland
Karl Molitor
Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland
3:00.3
Slalom
details
Edy Reinalter
Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland
2:10.3 James Couttet
Flag of France.svg  France
2:10.8 Henri Oreiller
Flag of France.svg  France
2:12.8
Combined
details
Henri Oreiller
Flag of France.svg  France
3.27 Karl Molitor
Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland
6.44 James Couttet
Flag of France.svg  France
6.95

Source: [1]

Women's events

EventGoldSilverBronze
Downhill
details
Hedy Schlunegger
Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland
2:28.3 Trude Beiser
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
2:29.1 Resi Hammerer
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
2:30.2
Slalom
details
Gretchen Fraser
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
1:57.2 Antoinette Meyer
Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland
1:57.7 Erika Mahringer
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
1:58.0
Combined
details
Trude Beiser
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
6.58 Gretchen Fraser
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
6.95 Erika Mahringer
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
7.04

Source: [1]

Medal table

Switzerland relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
St. Moritz
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 2226
2Flag of France.svg  France 2125
3Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 1236
4US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1102
Totals (4 entries)66719

Source: [1]

Participating nations

A total of 174 alpine skiers from 25 nations competed at the St. Moritz Games:

Course information

DateRaceStart
Elevation
Finish
Elevation
Vertical
Drop
Course
Length
Average
Gradient
Mon 2 Feb Downhill – men 2,700 m (8,858 ft) 1,870 m (6,135 ft) 830 m (2,723 ft) 3.371 km (2.095 mi)
Mon 2 Feb Downhill – women 2,394 m (7,854 ft) 1,870 m (6,135 ft) 524 m (1,719 ft) 2.135 km (1.327 mi)
Thu 5 Feb Slalom – men2,090 m (6,857 ft) 1,870 m (6,135 ft) 220 m (722 ft)
Thu 5 Feb Slalom – women2,050 m (6,726 ft) 1,870 m (6,135 ft) 180 m (591 ft)
Wed 4 Feb Slalom – (K) – men2,090 m (6,857 ft) 1,870 m (6,135 ft) 220 m (722 ft)
Wed 4 Feb Slalom – (K) – women2,050 m (6,726 ft) 1,870 m (6,135 ft) 220 m (722 ft)

Participating nations

Twenty-five nations sent alpine skiers to compete. Despite being a part of the Axis until 1943, Italy was invited; Germany and Japan were excluded.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Rapport Général sur les V Jeux Olympiques" (PDF). Comité Olympique Suisse. LA84 Foundation. 1948. pp. 38–46, 49–52. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  2. "Alpine Skiing at the 1948 St. Moritz Winter Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2018.