Herbert Huber
Quick Facts
Biography
Herbert Huber (4 December 1944 – 15 July 1970) was an Austrian alpine skier and Olympic medalist. He received a silver medal in the slalom at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble.
Huber did win three World Cup races: the slalom race on March, 26th, 1967, at Jackson Hole, the giant slalom race on March 31st, 1968, at Rossland, and the giant slalom race on April 6h, 1968, at Heavenly Valley. Winning the silver medal in the 1968 Winter Olympics was overshadowed by the bickering in the matter of the disqualification of his team-mate Karl Schranz.
He became twice Austrian Champion in the Slalom in 1966 and 1968.
He was sensory, therefore it happened that he didn't start in the slalom race in the FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships at Val Gardena on February 8th, 1970. A day before the race there was carried out a qualification race, and Huber could qualify with difficulty (by eliminating a racer from Romania, therefore such one who is known as an "exotic" in that sports). Huber seemed confused and ashamed after this (so it was told on the day of the actual race, and following his retirement the Austrian team could only start with three racers).
Huber's sensitivity was responsible for his suicide in his home village Kitzbühel in the summer of the same year. He was a baths attendant there when an English holiday maker was drowning. Though Huber was out of service he was taken that accident to heart.