Rosi Mittermaier
Quick Facts
Biography
Rosemarie "Rosi" Mittermaier-Neureuther (born 5 August 1950) is a retired World Cup alpine ski racer from Germany. She was the overall World Cup champion in 1976 and a double gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics.
Racing career
Born in Reit im Winkl, Bavaria, Mittermaier won two gold medals (downhill and slalom) and one silver (giant slalom) at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. Her victory in the Olympic downhill was the only downhill win in her international career. Mittermaier was the most successful athlete at those games, along with cross-country skier Raisa Smetanina of the Soviet Union, earning her the nickname of Gold-Rosi within Germany (then West Germany).
Mittermaier made her World Cup debut in the inaugural season of 1967 at age 16, and won her first World Cup race two seasons later. She retired from international competition at age 25, following the very successful 1976 season.In addition to the overall World Cup title, she also won the season title in slalom and combined in 1976. After winning both races at Copper Mountain in Colorado to wrap up the overall and slalom titles, the four-year-old resort immediately named the race course run after her.
In addition to her success in international competition, she also won 16 German national titles during her career.
After racing
Today, Mittermaier works for several charities and occasionally as a commentator for German television for major sporting events. She established a charitable foundation to aid children with rheumatism in 2000.
Personal life
Mittermaier's father was a ski school operator in her home town of Reit-im-Winkl. She was born with a twin sister who died at birth. Her younger sister Evi Mittermaier also competed as an alpine skier and previously lived in a hotel. Rosi and Evi also recorded two albums of Bavarian folk songs together.
She is married to Christian Neureuther, winner of six World Cup slalom races. They were wed in 1980 and are the parents of Felix Neureuther (b. 1984), a World Cup ski racer for Germany.
World Cup results
Season standings
| Season | Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant Slalom | Super G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 16 | 27 | 19 | — | — | ||
| 1968 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 8 | — | ||
| 1969 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 5 | ||
| 1970 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | ||
| 1971 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 15 | ||
| 1972 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1973 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 1974 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 11 | ||
| 1975 | 24 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1976 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
Season titles
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Overall |
| Slalom | |
| Combined |
Race victories
- 10 wins – (1 GS, 8 SL, 1 K)
- 41 podiums – (4 DH, 11 GS, 22 SL, 4 K)
| Season | Date | Location | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 16 Jan 1969 | Schruns, Austria | Slalom |
| 1970 | 14 Mar 1970 | Voss, Norway | Slalom |
| 1973 | 2 Feb 1973 | Schruns, Austria | Slalom |
| 1974 | 27 Feb 1974 | Abetone, Italy | Slalom |
| 8 Mar 1974 | Vysoké Tatry, Czechoslovakia | Slalom | |
| 1975 | 13 Dec 1974 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Slalom |
| 1976 | 17 Dec 1975 | Combined | |
| 22 Jan 1976 | Bad Gastein, Austria | Slalom | |
| 5 Mar 1976 | Copper Mountain, USA | Giant Slalom | |
| 6 Mar 1976 | Slalom |
World championship results
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant Slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 17 | DNF2 | 20 | 25 | — | |
| 1970 | 19 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 5 | |
| 1972 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1974 | 23 | 6 | DNF | DNF | — | |
| 1976 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Olympic results
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant Slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 17 | DNF2 | 20 | 25 | ||
| 1972 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 1976 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 1 |