Toni Sailer

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games • Other
SexMale
Full nameAnton Engelbert "Toni"•Sailer
Used nameToni•Sailer
Nick/petnames"Der Blitz von Kitz", Tonai
Born17 November 1935 in Kitzbühel, Tirol (AUT)
Died24 August 2009 in Innsbruck, Tirol (AUT)
AffiliationsKitzbüheler Ski Club, Kitzbühel (AUT)
NOC Austria
Medals OG
Gold 3
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 3

Biography

Austria’s Anton “Toni” Sailer, known as “The Blitz from Kitz”, because of his hometown, was the greatest Alpine skier in Olympic history. Although his feat of winning all three Alpine events at the 1956 Winter Games was matched by Jean-Claude Killy 12 years later, Sailer’s overall performance was far more impressive. He won the downhill by 3.5 seconds, the slalom by 4.0 seconds and the giant slalom by a remarkable 6.2 seconds, whereas Killy’s margins of victory were much narrower.

Sailer was also World Champion at Alpine combination (1956, 1958) and the downhill and slalom (1958). His career at the international level lasted only four seasons before he retired to become a hotelier and an occasional film actor and singer. A national hero, he was appointed technical director of the national Alpine team in 1972. Through 2010, he remains the only Austrian to have won three Olympic gold medals, when Felix Gottwald and Thomas Morgenstern also won their third Olympic title.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1956 Winter Olympics Alpine Skiing (Skiing) AUT Toni Sailer
Downhill, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
Giant Slalom, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
Slalom, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold

Other participations

Games Role NOC As
1956 Winter Olympics Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony AUT Toni Sailer

Olympic family relations

Special Notes