Helmuth Schmalzl

Helmuth Schmalzl is a former alpine skier, skiing coach, and Italian sports manager. He made his World Cup début in the downhill at Madonna di Campiglio (44th overall) in 1967 and obtained his first top ten finish two years later in the same event on the Saslong slope at Val Gardena. Schmalzl later specialised in the slalom and giant slalom, and in 1972 took part in the Sapporo Winter Olympics, where he was 16th in the giant slalom. In the same season, and event, he achieved his first World Cup podium with a third place at Banff.

In the 1973/74 season Schmalzl achieved his best placing in the World Cup with a second in the giant slalom in Val-d’Isère. It was the last podium finish of his career. He took part in the 1974 World Championships in Sankt Moritz, where he brilliantly placed fourth in the giant slalom. Also in 1974 he finished fourth in the World Cup giant slalom in Berchtesgaden, behind compatriots Piero Gros, Gustavo Thoeni, and Erwin Stricker. Behind Schmalzl was another Italian, Tino Pietrogiovanna, and the outstanding result saw the Italian press give the five men the nickname “Valanga azzurra”, which would later be commonly used in reference to the strong Italian national team of the 1970s.

After retiring from competitive skiing, Schmalzl became technical director of the Italian national team and was also responsible for safety on the Saslong slope. Subsequently, on behalf of the International Ski Federation, he was responsible for the safety of the men’s speed events and the setter for all downhill races at the World Cup, World Championships, and Olympic Games, from the 1995/96 season to 2013/14.