Willy Bogner

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameWilhelm "Willy"•Bogner, Sr.
Used nameWilly•Bogner
Born7 February 1909 in Traunstein, Bayern (GER)
Died27 July 1977 in Hausham, Bayern (GER)
AffiliationsMSV, München (GER)
NOC Germany

Biography

Willy Bogner competed at the 1934 World Nordic Ski Championships, winning a silver medal in the relay, and at the 1935 World Nordic Combined Championships, he won an individual bronze. During his ski career he won 11 German championships in cross-country and Nordic combined. At the 1936 Winter Olympics, Bogner was honored in being chosen to recite the Oath of the Athletes at the Opening Ceremony. He finished twelfth in the nordic combined and sixth with the 4×10 km cross country relay.

By the time of those Winter Olympics, Bogner was already known as a designer of ski clothes, starting his own company, Bogner, in 1932, which outfitted the German ski team at the 1936 Garmisch Olympics. During World War II, Bogner fought for the German side, and was held as a prisoner-of-war. He re-opened his ski clothing business in 1947, pioneering stretch ski pants that were eventually modeled by Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Ingrid Bergmann. Bogner’s son, Willy, Jr. also skied at the 1960 and 1964 Winter Olympics, and followed in his father’s footsteps as a clothing designer, taking over the family company at Willy, Sr.’s death in 1977.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1936 Winter Olympics Cross Country Skiing (Skiing) GER Willy Bogner
4 × 10 kilometres Relay, Men (Olympic) Germany 6
Nordic Combined (Skiing) GER Willy Bogner
Individual, Men (Olympic) 12

Olympic family relations

Special Notes