Willy Löwinger

Austrian speed skater Willy Löwinger finished 19th over 5,000 meters and 24th over 10,000 meters at the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympics. He qualified for the Games after finishing second at the Austrian nationals. The following year he finished third at the nationals and tenth at the European Championships, all in the all-around events. In 1938 he again finished second at the nationals.

Löwinger later became a motorsport legend in Austria. For many years he was President of the Austrian Automobile Sports Club (ÖASC) and ruled the club in a dictatorial manner. He was also the architect of the European Hill Climb Championships, builder of the Salzburgring, and organizer of the famous Innsbruck and Vienna-Aspern airfield races. He was also a legendary cigar smoker.

Löwinger was described like this by contemporaries: “Willy was everything in personal union - dictator and self-promoter by the grace of God, lovable crook and pathological miser, vain director and merciless dictator, tough negotiator and helpful friend. He could cheat on you wonderfully and make you feel like you just got the best deal in the world with him. Willy was just a phenomenon, an incredible guy, the last of his kind, feared, hated, loved, adored.”

Personal Best: 500 – 44.8 (1939); 1500 – 2:20.7 (1937); 5000 – 8:47.7 (1937); 10000 – 18:46.5 (1936).