SafekipediaAlpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics had six events near Innsbruck, Austria, from January 30 to February 8, 1964.
The men’s downhill race took place on Patscherkofel above Igls, while the other five events were at Axamer Lizum. This Olympics was special because timing was recorded in hundredths of a second for the first time, making the races more precise.
It was also the last time East and West Germany competed together as the United Team of Germany. Because the weather was warm, there wasn’t enough snow, so trucks brought in extra snow that was packed down by soldiers.
The Winter Olympics came back to Innsbruck twelve years later in 1976, after Denver gave up hosting the games.
Medal summary
Four countries won medals in alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics. Austria won the most medals, with seven. France also did very well, winning three gold medals. Two sisters from France, Marielle and Christine Goitschel, each won a gold and a silver medal. On the men's side, Pepi Stiegler from Austria won both gold and bronze.
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  France | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 |  Austria | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 |  United States | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 |  United Team of Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (4 entries) | 6 | 7 | 5 | 18 | |
Course information
| Date | Race | Start Elevation | Finish Elevation | Vertical Drop | Course Length | Average Gradient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 30-Jan | Downhill – men | 1,952 m (6,404 ft) | 1,085 m (3,560 ft) | 867 m (2,844 ft) | 3.120 km (1.939 mi) | 27.8% |
| Thu 06-Feb | Downhill – women | 2,310 m (7,580 ft) | 1,605 m (5,266 ft) | 705 m (2,313 ft) | 2.510 km (1.560 mi) | 28.1% |
| Sun 02-Feb | Giant slalom – men | 2,100 m (6,890 ft) | 1,570 m (5,151 ft) | 530 m (1,739 ft) | 1.250 km (0.777 mi) | 42.4% |
| Mon 03-Feb | Giant slalom – women | 2,050 m (6,726 ft) | 1,550 m (5,085 ft) | 500 m (1,640 ft) | 1.250 km (0.777 mi) | 40.0% |
| Sat 08-Feb | Slalom – men (2 runs) | 1,770 m (5,807 ft) | 1,570 m (5,151 ft) | 200 m (656 ft) | 0.470 km (0.292 mi) | 42.6% |
| Fri 07-Feb | Slalom – men (qualifying) | 1,730 m (5,676 ft) | 1,600 m (5,249 ft) | 130 m (427 ft) | 0.350 km (0.217 mi) | 37.1% |
| Sat 01-Feb | Slalom – women (2 runs) | 1,730 m (5,676 ft) | 1,600 m (5,249 ft) | 130 m (427 ft) | 0.350 km (0.217 mi) | 37.1% |
Participating nations
Thirty-one nations sent skiers to the alpine skiing events at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. India joined for the very first time. Here is a list of the countries that participated and how many skiers each country sent.
- Argentina (6)
- Australia (5)
- Austria (11)
- Belgium (1)
- Bulgaria (1)
- Canada (9)
- Chile (5)
- Czechoslovakia (2)
- Finland (2)
- France (11)
- United Team of Germany (10)
- Great Britain (11)
- Greece (3)
- Hungary (1)
- India (1)
- Iran (4)
- Iceland (3)
- Italy (11)
- Japan (5)
- South Korea (2)
- Lebanon (4)
- Liechtenstein (3)
- Norway (6)
- Poland (4)
- Soviet Union (7)
- Spain (6)
- Sweden (4)
- Switzerland (13)
- Turkey (5)
- United States (12)
- Yugoslavia (6)
World championships
From the 1948 Winter Olympics through the 1980 Winter Olympics, the alpine skiing events at the Winter Olympics also served as the World Championships. Every two years, these competitions took place.
The giant slalom was added, and the combined event was not held during some years. It returned as a "paper race" using results from other events. During the Olympics, medals for the combined event were awarded by the FIS. The combined event became a separate part of the World Championships and returned to the Olympics later.
Related articles
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