Wikipedia

Rosi Mittermaier

Rosa Anna Katharina Mittermaier-Neureuther (German: [ˈʁozi ˈmɪtɐˌmaɪ̯ɐ] ⓘ; née Mittermaier; 5 August 1950 – 4 January 2023) was a German alpine skier. She was the overall World Cup champion in 1976 and a double gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics.[1]

Rosi Mittermaier
Mittermaier in 2014
Personal information
Birth nameRosa Anna Katharina Mittermaier
Born(1950-08-05)5 August 1950
Munich, Bavaria, West Germany
Died4 January 2023(2023-01-04) (aged 72)
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany
OccupationAlpine skier
Height1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)
Skiing career
DisciplinesDownhill, giant slalom, slalom, combined
World Cup debut1 February 1967 (age 16)
Retired31 May 1976 (age 25)
Websitewww.rosi-mittermaier.de Edit this at Wikidata
Olympics
Teams3 – (1968, 1972, 1976)
Medals3 (2 gold)
World Championships
Teams5 – (1968–76)[a]
Medals4 (3 gold)
World Cup
Seasons10 – (1967–1976)
Wins10 – (1 GS, 8 SL, 1 K)
Podiums41 – (4 DH, 11 GS, 22 SL, 4 K)
Overall titles1 – (1976)
Discipline titles2 – (SL & K in 1976)
Medal record
Women's alpine skiing
Representing  West Germany
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1976 Innsbruck Downhill
Gold medal – first place 1976 Innsbruck Slalom
Silver medal – second place 1976 Innsbruck Giant slalom
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1976 Innsbruck Combined

Mittermaier competed in alpine skiing from 1967 to 1976, retiring after a highly successful season in which she finished with two Olympic gold medals and ranked first in the World Cup. She remained popular, advertising for sports and as a non-fiction writer. She was known as Gold-Rosi, and she was inducted into Germany's Sports Hall of Fame in April 2006 when it was initiated.

Life and career

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Mittermaier was born in Munich[2] and grew up in Reit im Winkl on the Winklmoos-Alm [de].[3] Her father had run there the Passauer Hütte.[4] A certified skiing instructor, he also owned a skiing school from 1966,[5] and was the first to train his daughters.[6]

Racing career

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Mittermaier made her World Cup debut in the inaugural season of 1967,[7] and won her first World Cup race two seasons later.[8]

She won two gold medals (downhill and slalom)[9] and one silver (giant slalom) at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.[10][11] Her victory in the Olympic downhill was the only downhill win in her international career.[12] Mittermaier was the most successful athlete at those games, along with cross-country skier Raisa Smetanina of the Soviet Union, earning her the nickname of Gold-Rosi within Germany (then West Germany).[13]

In addition to the overall World Cup title, she also won the season title in slalom and combined in 1976. After winning both races at Copper Mountain in Colorado to wrap up the overall and slalom titles,[14] the four-year-old resort immediately named the race course run after her.[15][16] In addition to her success in international competition, she also won 16 German national titles during her career.[17]

On 31 May 1976, she retired from international competition at age 25, following the very successful 1976 season.[18][19][20]

After racing

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After her career in sports, Mittermaier joined Mark McCormack's International Management Group as the only German alongside Jean-Claude Killy, Jackie Stewart, and Björn Borg.[21] During her three-year contract, she designed a collection of winter sports clothing and made international appearances for various skiing products.[22] She wrote non-fiction books, often together with her husband.[19] She worked for several charities and occasionally as a commentator for German television for major sporting events. She established a charitable foundation to aid children with rheumatism in 2000.[17][19]

Personal life and death

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Mittermaier was born with a twin sister who died at birth. Her younger sister Evi Mittermaier also competed as an alpine skier and previously lived in a hotel.[17] Rosi and Evi also recorded two albums of Bavarian folk songs together.[17]

 
The grave in 2024.
 
Mittermaier (r.) and her husband with figure skater Aljona Savchenko in 2018

In 1980 she married Christian Neureuther, winner of six World Cup slalom races.[23] They are the parents of Felix Neureuther (b. 1984), a World Cup ski racer for Germany,[24] and a daughter Ameli who works as a fashion designer.[25]

Mittermaier died because of cancer in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on 4 January 2023, at the age of 72 years.[3][26][27] Her mortal remains were cremated and the urn was buried at the cemetery of Garmisch. Next to her gravestone - a rock, which bears the inscription "Rosi Mittermaier-Neureuther" and resembles a mountain - is a similiar one without inscription, which is obviously reserved for her husband.

Awards

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She was an honorary citizen's of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Reit im Winkl.[19]

World Cup results

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Season standings

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Source:[29]

Season Age Overall Slalom Giant
slalom		 Super G Downhill Combined
1967 16 27 19 — not
run		 — not
awarded
1968 17 12 11 8 —
1969 18 7 4 11 5
1970 19 11 8 10 12
1971 20 14 13 9 15
1972 21 6 4 7 10
1973 22 4 2 8 9
1974 23 7 2 13 11
1975 24 3 7 7 6
1976 25 1 1 3 9 1

Points were only awarded for top ten finishes (see scoring system).

Season titles

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Season Discipline
1976 Overall
Slalom
Combined

Race victories

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  • 10 wins – (1 GS, 8 SL, 1 K)
  • 41 podiums – (4 DH, 11 GS, 22 SL, 4 K)
Season Date Location Discipline
1969 16 January 1969   Schruns, Austria Slalom
1970 14 March 1970   Voss, Norway Slalom
1973 2 February 1973   Schruns, Austria Slalom
1974 27 February 1974   Abetone, Italy Slalom
8 March 1974   Vysoké Tatry, Czechoslovakia Slalom
1975 13 December 1974[30]   Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Slalom
1976 17 December 1975 Combined
22 January 1976   Bad Gastein, Austria Slalom
5 March 1976   Copper Mountain, United States Giant slalom
6 March 1976 Slalom

World championship results

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Source:[29]

  Year    Age   Slalom  Giant
 slalom 		 Super-G Downhill Combined
1968 17 DNF2 20 not run 25 —
1970 19 15 7 20 5
1972 21 17 12 6 7
1974 23 6 DNF DNF —
1976 25 1 2 1 1

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.

At the World Championships from 1954 through 1980, the combined was a "paper race" using the results of the three events (DH, GS, SL).

Olympic results

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Source:[12]

  Year    Age   Slalom  Giant
 slalom 		 Super-G Downhill Combined
1968 17 DNF2 20 not run 25 not run
1972 21 17 12 6
1976 25 1 2 1

Publications

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Many of her books were written with her husband Christian Neureuther:[19]

  • Mittermaier, Rosi (1977). Ski-Zirkus : meine 10 Jahre im Hochleistungssport (in German). Frankfurt/M.: Ullstein. ISBN 3-550-17672-4. OCLC 3629220.
  • ——; Neureuther, Christian; Messmann, Kuno (1983). Unser Skibuch. München: Mosaik. ISBN 3-570-00735-9. OCLC 64741076.
  • —— (1994). Gewinnen mit Walking das Original-Rosi-Mittermaier-Walking-Buch (in German). Düsseldorf. ISBN 978-3-7919-0531-0. OCLC 75506562.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • —— (2004). Nordic Walking Ganzjahrestraining - starke Muskeln - gesunde Gelenke - top Kondition - super Figur (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-426-64139-2. OCLC 76551517.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ——; Bartl, Reiner (2005). Stabile Knochen, mobiles Leben Osteoporose aktiv begegnen, vermeiden, behandeln und beweglich bleiben ; frühzeitige Diagnose und wirksame Therapie ; 3-stufiges Knochenaufbauprogramm mit Rosi Mittermaier (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-426-64277-1. OCLC 181457767.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ——; Neureuther, Christian; Mittermaier, Rosi (2006). Nordic-Walking-Praxisbuch leichter Einstieg in 7 Schritten mit der Nordic-ALFA-Technik ; für jeden geeignet – rundum gesund (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-426-64341-9. OCLC 163402416.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ——; Neureuther, Christian; Deutscher Skilehrerverband (2008). Neuer Schwung für alle, die die Freude am Skifahren (wieder) entdecken wollen ; mit allen Skigebieten (D), Loipen, Insidertipps, Checklisten (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-485-01146-4. OCLC 271637893.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ——; Neureuther, Christian (2008). Die Heilkraft des Sports mit Spaß und Freude mehr Gesundheit (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-485-01130-3. OCLC 227007343.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ——; Neureuther, Christian (2009). Sicher durch den Skiwinter (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-485-01189-1. OCLC 643238604.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • —— (2011). Fröhlich bin ich sowieso mit 11 Rezepten (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-485-01321-5. OCLC 759529483.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ——; Neureuther, Christian (2012). Die schönsten Schneeschuhtouren Bayern, Tirol, Salzburger Land (in German). [Luzern]. ISBN 978-3-7243-1043-3. OCLC 774039790.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ——; Mittermaier, Rosi; Neureuther, Christian (2013). Kraftort Alpen. München. ISBN 978-3-7243-1050-1. OCLC 859342148.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • ——; Neureuther, Christian; Edition Raetia GmbH (2016). Mit Rosi und Christian in Südtirol kulinarische Begegnungen (in German). Bozen. ISBN 978-88-7283-555-5. OCLC 932030791.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ includes 3 Olympics

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rosi Mittermaier". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  2. ^ Leidinger, Saskia (5 January 2023). "Im Alter von 72 Jahren: Skilegende Rosi Mittermaier ist tot". Saarbrücker Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Wintersport: Trauer – "Gold-Rosi" Mittermaier ist tot" (in German). BR. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  4. ^ Mittermaier, Rosi (2012). Fröhlich bin ich sowieso (in German). München. ISBN 978-3-485-06007-3. OCLC 882493926.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ "Mit 72 Jahren: Ski-Legende Rosi Mittermaier ist tot – Das Erste". MDR.DE (in German). 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Über 60 Jahre auf der Winklmoosalm". ovb-online.de (in German). 17 March 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Rosi Mittermaier ist tot – Zweimalige Olympiasiegerin stirbt mit 72". T-Online.de (in German). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Mit 72 Jahren: Ski-Legende Rosi Mittermaier ist tot". MDR (in German). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Clipping from Star Tribune". Star Tribune. 12 February 1976. p. 33. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Johnson, William Oscar (16 February 1976). "On came the heroes". Sports Illustrated. p. 13. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013.
  11. ^ Johnson, William Oscar (23 February 1976). "Opening up those golden gates". Sports Illustrated. p. 12. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013.
  12. ^ a b "Rosi MITTERMAIER Biography, Olympic Medals, Records and Age". Olympics.com. 2 July 2018. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Ski-Olympiasiegerin Rosi Mittermaier ist tot". tagesschau.de (in German). Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Mittermaier wins World Cup". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. 7 March 1976. p. 3B.
  15. ^ "Rosi has run named for her". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. 8 March 1976. p. 20.
  16. ^ Looney, Douglas S. (15 March 1976). "Adding a title to a triumph". Sports Illustrated. p. 18. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013.
  17. ^ a b c d Cazeneuve, Brian (18 February 2012). "2002 Winter Olympics – SI Daily: Where are they now? Rosi Mittermaier". CNNSI. Archived from the original on 19 February 2002. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  18. ^ "'Grandma' Rosi out of racing". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. 1 June 1976. p. 21. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h "Rosi Mittermaier vollendet 70. Lebensjahr". Der Deutsche Olympische Sportbund (in German). 5 August 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Rosi Mittermaier Weighs Retirement". The New York Times. 25 March 1976. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Ich habe ja nichts Großes vollbracht". Die Zeit (in German). No. 48. 17 December 1976. pp. 194–196. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Die Millionen der Slalome". No. 48. 21 November 1976. pp. 194–196. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Tod von Rosi Mittermaier: So war die Skilegende "Gold-Rosi" zu Lebzeiten". Stuttgarter Nachrichten (in German). 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Rosi Mittermaier ist tot: Ski-Olympiasiegerin stirbt nach Krankheit". Süddeutsche.de (in German). 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  25. ^ Hörmann, Andi (25 December 2013). "Skizirkus gegen die schillernde Modewelt getauscht". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German). Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  26. ^ "Olympic skiing champion Rosi Mittermaier dies at 72". AP NEWS (in German). 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  27. ^ "Markus Wasmeier über Rosi Mittermaier: "Rosi war positiv. Bis zum Schluss"". stern.de (in German). 9 January 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  28. ^ a b c d e "Rosi Mittermaier". Hall of Fame (in German). Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  29. ^ a b "MITTERMAIER Rosi – Athlete Information". fis. 23 October 2018. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  30. ^ "Clipping from The Gazette". The Gazette. 14 December 1974. p. 45. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading

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Biographies

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Obituaries

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Awards and achievements
Preceded by German Sportswoman of the Year
1976 		Succeeded by
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