Lauberhorn ski races

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Lauberhorn - Downhill
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Lauberhorn - Downhill
Location in Switzerland
Coordinates 46°35′35″N7°55′30″E / 46.593°N 7.925°E / 46.593; 7.925
Vertical1,028 m (3,373 ft)
Top elevation2,315 m (7,595 ft) 
Base elevation1,287 m (4,222 ft)
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Wengen
Location in the Alps of Europe

The Lauberhorn ski races (Lauberhorn World Cup alpine ski races (German : Lauberhornrennen) (downhill, slalom, and combined) are among the highest-attended winter sports events in the world, attracting around 30,000 spectators each year. An established attraction is the airshow by the Patrouille Suisse, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Swiss Air Force. The 2016 races were held 15–17 January (super-combined, downhill, and slalom).

Contents

The races in Wengen in the Bernese Oberland are held in mid-January, usually the week prior to the Hahnenkamm, in Kitzbühel, Austria, another classic downhill race run since the early 1930s.

The Lauberhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, located between Wengen and Grindelwald, north of the Kleine Scheidegg. Its summit is at an elevation of 2,472 m (8,110 ft) above sea level.

The downhill course is the longest in the world; its length of over 4.4 km (2.7 mi) results in run times of two and a half minutes (about 30–45 seconds longer than standard downhill races); top speeds approach 160 km/h (100 mph) on its Haneggschuss, the highest speeds on the World Cup circuit.

The Lauberhorn downhill run is surrounded by the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau above the Lauterbrunnen valley. It is known for run arrangements such as the Hundschopf, a signature 40 m (130 ft) jump over a rock nose, the Kernen-S (passing over a bridge at around 80 km/h (50 mph) and the Wasserstation tunnel (underpassing the viaduct of the Wengernalpbahn).

Races are held on two famous courses "Lauberhorn" (downhill) and "Männlichen / Jungfrau" (slalom).

Key sections

Map of downhill and slalom Streckenplan Lauberhornabfahrt.jpg
Map of downhill and slalom

Many of the named portions of the course are due to historic falls or crashes by racers. The best known sections of the Lauberhorn downhill, or Lauberhornrennen, [1] race are the following (in descending order): [2] [3]

History

Karl Schranz in 1966, winning his third of four Lauberhorn downhills, beneath the Monch Karl Schranz, Lauberhorn 1966.jpg
Karl Schranz in 1966, winning his third of four Lauberhorn downhills, beneath the Mönch

One of the first reports of skiing from the Lauberhorn to Wengen was in 1912 when the Roberts of Candahar Ski Challenge Cup was offered. [4] By 1927 it was just known as the Lauberhorn Ski Cup. [5]

It is one of the oldest continuously-held ski races. The Russisprung was originally built in the spring for a television show and was incorporated into the course by organizers the following year. The Minsch-Kante is where Josef Minsch fell in 1965 and was hospitalized for weeks. The Canadian Corner is named after two of the Crazy Canucks, Dave Irwin and Ken Read, who aggressively attacked this part of the course in 1976 and subsequently fell during the race. The Kernen-S was renamed for 2003 winner Bruno Kernen after his crash in 1997 at the former Brüggli-S. The Silberhornsprung was introduced in 2003 with the pyramid-shaped Silberhorn mountain in the background for television viewers. The Österreicherloch (Austrian hole) got its name in 1954 when almost all participating Austrian skiers (including Toni Sailer) fell there; 1960s Austrian great Karl Schranz later fell there as well.

In 1991, a tragic death occurred during training for the race at the Ziel-S (Finish-S). The young Austrian skier Gernot Reinstadler was not able to finish the S-curve properly and therefore jumped into the slope boundary (because he was too far to the right), where he hooked one ski in the security net and suffered severe injuries to the lower body. He died shortly after the accident from internal bleeding. The race was not held that year. In reaction to this tragic event, the slope boundary at that place was also equipped with rejection canvas and the gates were moved upwards and more to the left.

Snowmaking was added in the mid-1990s, and the combined race has been a run as a "super combined" since the World Cup debut of the format at Wengen in 2005. The super-combi consists of a shortened downhill and with a slalom run, both on the same day, instead of three runs (one downhill and two slalom) of the traditional combined. On the World Cup circuit, the traditional combined is usually not run as separate races, but determined "on paper" from the results of the primary downhill and slalom races, which are run on separate days. (The Olympics and world championships are the exceptions, holding separate races for the combined.) At the Winter Olympics, the super-combined format replaced the traditional combined at the 2010 Winter Games.

Facts and figures

Winners list

Source: [6]

Year Downhill Slalom Combined Super-G
2025 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Marco Odermatt Flag of Norway.svg Atle Lie McGrath  —— Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Franjo von Allmen
2024 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Marco Odermatt Flag of Austria.svg Manuel Feller  —— Flag of France.svg Cyprien Sarrazin
2023 Flag of Norway.svg Aleksander Aamodt Kilde Flag of Norway.svg Henrik Kristoffersen  —— Flag of Norway.svg Aleksander Aamodt Kilde
2022 Flag of Austria.svg Vincent Kriechmayr Flag of Norway.svg Lucas Braathen  ——  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Marco Odermatt
2021  —— —— —— ——
2020   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Beat Feuz Flag of France.svg Clément Noël Flag of Austria.svg Matthias Mayer  ——
2019 Flag of Austria.svg Vincent Kriechmayr Flag of France.svg Clément Noël Flag of Austria.svg Marco Schwarz  ——
2018   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Beat Feuz Flag of Austria.svg Marcel Hirscher Flag of France.svg Victor Muffat-Jeandet [7]  ——
2017  —— Flag of Norway.svg Henrik Kristoffersen   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Niels Hintermann [7]  ——
2016 Flag of Norway.svg Aksel Lund Svindal Flag of Norway.svg Henrik Kristoffersen Flag of Norway.svg Kjetil Jansrud [7]  ——
2015 Flag of Austria.svg Hannes Reichelt Flag of Germany.svg Felix Neureuther   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Carlo Janka [7]  ——
2014   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Patrick Küng Flag of France.svg Alexis Pinturault Flag of the United States.svg Ted Ligety [7]  ——
2013 Flag of Italy.svg Christof Innerhofer Flag of Germany.svg Felix Neureuther Flag of France.svg Alexis Pinturault [7]  ——
2012   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Beat Feuz Flag of Croatia.svg Ivica Kostelić Flag of Croatia.svg Ivica Kostelić [7]  ——
2011 Flag of Austria.svg Klaus Kröll Flag of Croatia.svg Ivica Kostelić Flag of Croatia.svg Ivica Kostelić [7]  ——
2010   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Carlo Janka Flag of Croatia.svg Ivica Kostelić Flag of the United States.svg Bode Miller [7]  ——
2009   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Didier Défago Flag of Austria.svg Manfred Pranger   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Carlo Janka [7]  ——
2008 Flag of the United States.svg Bode Miller Flag of France.svg Jean-Baptiste Grange Flag of France.svg Jean-Baptiste Grange [7]  ——
2007 Flag of the United States.svg Bode Miller  —— Flag of Austria.svg Mario Matt  ——
2006 Flag of the United States.svg Daron Rahlves Flag of Italy.svg Giorgio Rocca Flag of Austria.svg Benjamin Raich [7]  ——
2005 Flag of Austria.svg Michael Walchhofer Flag of Germany.svg Alois Vogl Flag of Austria.svg Benjamin Raich [7]  ——
2004  —— Flag of Austria.svg Benjamin Raich  —— ——
2003   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Bruno Kernen
Flag of Austria.svg Stephan Eberharter (Fri)
Flag of Italy.svg Giorgio Rocca Flag of Norway.svg Kjetil André Aamodt  ——
2002 Flag of Austria.svg Stephan Eberharter Flag of Croatia.svg Ivica Kostelić Flag of Norway.svg Kjetil André Aamodt  ——
2001  —— Flag of Austria.svg Benjamin Raich  —— ——
2000 Flag of Austria.svg Josef Strobl Flag of Norway.svg Kjetil André Aamodt  —— ——
1999 Flag of Norway.svg Lasse Kjus Flag of Austria.svg Benjamin Raich Flag of Norway.svg Lasse Kjus  ——
1998 Flag of Austria.svg Andreas Schifferer
Flag of Austria.svg Hermann Maier (Fri)
Flag of Austria.svg Thomas Stangassinger [8] Flag of Austria.svg Hermann Maier  ——
1997 Flag of Italy.svg Kristian Ghedina Flag of Austria.svg Thomas Sykora  —— ——
1996  —— —— —— ——
1995 Flag of the United States.svg Kyle Rasmussen
Flag of Italy.svg Kristian Ghedina (Fri)
Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Tomba Flag of Luxembourg.svg Marc Girardelli  ——
1994   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   William Besse  —— —— Flag of Luxembourg.svg Marc Girardelli
1993  —— —— —— ——
1992   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Franz Heinzer Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Tomba   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Paul Accola  ——
1991  —— —— —— ——
1990  —— —— —— ——
1989 Flag of Luxembourg.svg Marc Girardelli
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Marc Girardelli (Fri)
Flag of Austria.svg Rudolf Nierlich Flag of Luxembourg.svg Marc Girardelli  ——
1988  —— —— —— ——
1987 Flag of Germany.svg Markus Wasmeier   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Joel Gaspoz   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Pirmin Zurbriggen  ——
1986  —— Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Rok Petrovic  —— ——
1985 Flag of Austria.svg Helmut Höflehner
Flag of Austria.svg Peter Wirnsberger (Sun)
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Marc Girardelli Flag of France.svg Michel Vion  ——
1984 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Johnson  —— —— ——
1983  —— —— —— ——
1982 Flag of Austria.svg Harti Weirather Flag of the United States.svg Phil Mahre   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Pirmin Zurbriggen  ——
1981   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Toni Bürgler Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Bojan Krizaj Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Valery Tsyganof  ——
1980   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Peter Müller
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ken Read (Fri)
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Bojan Krizaj Flag of Germany.svg Michael Veith  ——
1979  —— —— —— ——
1978  —— Flag of Austria.svg Klaus Heidegger  —— ——
1977 Flag of Austria.svg Franz Klammer Flag of Sweden.svg Ingemar Stenmark   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Walter Tresch  ——
1976 Flag of Austria.svg Franz Klammer
Flag of Italy.svg Herbert Plank (Fri)
Flag of Sweden.svg Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Austria.svg Franz Klammer  ——
1975 Flag of Austria.svg Franz Klammer Flag of Sweden.svg Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Italy.svg Gustav Thöni  ——
1974   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Roland Collombin Flag of Germany.svg Christian Neureuther Flag of Austria.svg David Zwilling  ——
1973  —— Flag of Germany.svg Christian Neureuther  —— ——
1972  —— Flag of France.svg Jean-Noel Augert  —— ——
1971  —— —— —— ——
1970 Flag of France.svg Henri Duvillard Flag of France.svg Patrick Russel Flag of France.svg Henri Duvillard  ——
1969 Flag of Austria.svg Karl Schranz Flag of Austria.svg Reinhard Tritscher Flag of Austria.svg Heini Messner  ——
1968 Flag of Austria.svg Gerhard Nenning   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Dumeng Giovanoli Flag of Austria.svg Gerhard Nenning  ——
1967 Flag of France.svg Jean-Claude Killy Flag of France.svg Jean-Claude Killy Flag of France.svg Jean-Claude Killy  ——
1966 Flag of Austria.svg Karl Schranz Flag of France.svg Guy Périllat Flag of Austria.svg Karl Schranz  ——
1965 Flag of Austria.svg Stefan Sodat Flag of France.svg Guy Périllat Flag of Austria.svg Karl Schranz  ——
1964 Flag of Austria.svg Egon Zimmermann Flag of Germany.svg Ludwig Leitner Flag of Austria.svg Gerhard Nenning  ——
1963 Flag of Austria.svg Karl Schranz Flag of France.svg Guy Périllat Flag of France.svg Guy Périllat  ——
1962 ——  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Adolf Mathis  —— ——
1961 Flag of France.svg Guy Périllat Flag of Austria.svg Pepi Stiegler Flag of France.svg Guy Périllat  ——
1960 Flag of Germany.svg Willy Bogner Flag of Austria.svg Hias Leitner Flag of Austria.svg Pepi Stiegler  ——
1959 Flag of Austria.svg Karl Schranz Flag of Austria.svg Ernst Oberaigner Flag of Austria.svg Ernst Oberaigner  ——
1958 Flag of Austria.svg Toni Sailer Flag of Austria.svg Josl Rieder Flag of the United States.svg Buddy Werner  ——
1957 Flag of Austria.svg Toni Sailer Flag of Austria.svg Anderl Molterer Flag of Austria.svg Josl Rieder  ——
1956 Flag of Austria.svg Toni Sailer Flag of Austria.svg Anderl Molterer Flag of Austria.svg Josl Rieder  ——
1955 Flag of Austria.svg Toni Sailer   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Martin Julen Flag of Austria.svg Toni Sailer  ——
1954 Flag of Austria.svg Christian Pravda Flag of Austria.svg Toni Spiss Flag of Austria.svg Christian Pravda  ——
1953 Flag of Austria.svg Anderl Molterer Flag of Austria.svg Anderl Molterer Flag of Austria.svg Anderl Molterer  ——
1952 Flag of Austria.svg Othmar Schneider Flag of Norway.svg Stein Eriksen Flag of Austria.svg Othmar Schneider  ——
1951 Flag of Austria.svg Othmar Schneider Flag of Norway.svg Stein Eriksen Flag of Austria.svg Othmar Schneider  ——
1950  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Fredy Rubi Flag of Italy.svg Zeno Colò   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Fredy Rubi  ——
1949  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Rudolf Graf Flag of Italy.svg Zeno Colò   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Adolf Odermatt  ——
1948 Flag of Italy.svg Zeno Colò   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor  ——
1947  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor Flag of Sweden.svg Olle Dalman   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Edy Rominger  ——
1946 Flag of France.svg Jean Blanc   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Otto von Allmen   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor  ——
1945  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Otto von Allmen   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Otto von Allmen  ——
1944  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Rudolf Graf   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Marcel von Allmen   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Marcel von Allmen  ——
1943  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Heinz von Allmen   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Heinz von Allmen  ——
1942  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Heinz von Allmen   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Heinz von Allmen  ——
1941  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Rudolf Graf   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Marcel von Allmen   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Marcel von Allmen  ——
1940  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor  ——
1939  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Karl Molitor Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Josef Jennewein Flag of Austria.svg Willi Walch  ——
1938  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Heinz von Allmen Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Rudi Canz   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Heinz von Allmen  ——
1937  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Heinz von Allmen Flag of Austria.svg Willi Walch Flag of Austria.svg Willi Walch  ——
1936  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Hans Schlunegger   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Hermann Steuri Flag of France.svg Émile Allais  ——
1935 Flag of Austria.svg Richard Werle   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Arnold Glatthard   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Hans Steuri  ——
1934  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Adolf Rubi   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Adolf Rubi   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Adolf Rubi  ——
1933 —— —— ——
1932  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Fritz Steuri   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Fritz von Allmen   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Fritz Steuri  ——
1931  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Fritz Steuri   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Hans Schlunegger   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Fritz Steuri  ——
1930  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Christian Rubi   Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Ernst Gertsch Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bill Bracken  ——

See also

Notes and references

  1. InGerman "Lauberhornrennen", in English "Lauberhorn races" - http://www.lauberhorn.ch/de/home and http://www.lauberhorn.ch/en/home Archived 2014-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Race Course Overview". Verein Internationale Lauberhornrennen. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  3. Brennan, Dave (January 14, 2015). "Wengen's vengeance". Ski Racing. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  4. "Curling and Ski-ing at Muerren" . Globe. England. 30 December 1911. Retrieved 19 June 2018 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "The Camera as Recorder: News by Photography" . Illustrated London News. England. 22 January 1927. Retrieved 19 June 2018 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. FIS-ski.com - World Cup podium results - Wengen - (1967-present)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 A super combination was held (short downhill and a slalom).
  8. The slalom took place in Veysonnaz.