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Kitzbuhel World Cup Downhill - Hahnenkamm/Streif
The word 'classic' is often over-used, but not in the case of this race. Set on the Streif slope of the Hahnenkamm mountain
above the glitzy Austrian resort of Kitzbuhel, this is a race that has the lot - history, drama and some of the steepest slopes
on the world cup calendar.
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SnowKings favourite ski race is probably the best known in the world. The Hahnenkamm is the
name of the mountain on which the downhill course, the Streif, is held. And it's a brute of a
course. Best known for the enormous Zielschuss jumps at the foot of the course, it's actually
some of the features higher up the course that make it so hard - the Mausefalle (mousetrap) jump
kicks things off immediately, hurtling the skiers through the air just seconds into the race.
Immediately following this there are a number of incredible turns and compression sections to
get to grips with, areas of poor visibility and several demanding gliding sections.
Just making it to the bottom can be considered a result, let alone winning the damned thing !
As with the other classics of the ski racing calendar, the days leading up to the race has
made it a real social event too, with thousands of people visiting the town for the race, which
almost has the status of a national holiday in Austria. Nowadays the race is normally held in
January, usually the weekend after the other major classic downhill, the Lauberhorn, with the downhill
being held on the Saturday, sandwiched between a Super-G on the Friday and a slalom on the Sunday.
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The list of winnners of the Kitzbuhel Downhill since the event started back in the early 1930's is as follows:
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Notes |
| 2012 | Didier Cuche | Switzerland | |
| 2011 | Didier Cuche | Switzerland | |
| 2010 | Didier Cuche | Switzerland | |
| 2009 | Didier Defago | Switzerland | |
| 2008 | Didier Cuche | Switzerland | |
| 2007 | | No Race | |
| 2006 | Michael Walchhofer | Austria | |
| 2005 | | No Race | |
| 2004 | Lasse Kjus | Norway | Extra Race on the Thursday |
| 2004 | Stephan Eberharter | Austria | |
| 2003 | Daron Rahlves | USA | |
| 2002 | Stephan Eberharter | Austria | |
| 2001 | Hermann Maier | Austria | |
| 2000 | Fritz Strobl | Austria | |
| 1999 | Hans Knauss | Austria | |
| 1999 | Lasse Kjus | Norway | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1998 | Didier Cuche | Switzerland | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1998 | Kristian Ghedina | Italy | |
| 1997 | Fritz Strobl | Austria | |
| 1997 | Luc Alphand | France | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1996 | Gunther Mader | Austria | |
| 1995 | Luc Alphand | France | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1995 | Luc Alphand | France | |
| 1994 | Patrick Ortlieb | Austria | |
| 1993 | | No Race | |
| 1992 | Franz Heinzer | Switzerland | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1992 | Franz Heinzer | Switzerland | |
| 1991 | Franz Heinzer | Switzerland | |
| 1990 | Atle Sk_rdal | Norway | |
| 1989 | Daniel Mahrer | Switzerland | |
| 1989 | Marc Girardelli | Luxembourg | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1988 | | No Race | |
| 1987 | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Switzerland | |
| 1986 | Peter Wirnsberger | Austria | |
| 1986 | Peter Wirnsberger | Austria | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1985 | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Switzerland | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1985 | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Switzerland | |
| 1984 | Franz Klammer | Austria | |
| 1983 | Todd Brooker | Canada | |
| 1983 | Bruno Kernen | Switzerland | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1982 | Steve Podborski | Canada | |
| 1982 | Harti Weirather | Austria | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1981 | Steve Podborski | Canada | |
| 1980 | Ken Read | Canada | |
| 1979 | Sepp Ferstl | West Germany | |
| 1978 | Josef Walcher | Austria | Tied Race |
| 1978 | Sepp Ferstl | West Germany | Tied Race |
| 1978 | Josef Walcher | Austria | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1977 | Franz Klammer | Austria | |
| 1976 | Franz Klammer | Austria | |
| 1975 | Franz Klammer | Austria | |
| 1974 | Roland Collombin | Switzerland | |
| 1973 | Roland Collombin | Switzerland | |
| 1972 | Karl Schranz | Austria | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1972 | Karl Schranz | Austria | |
| 1971 | | No Race | |
| 1970 | | No Race | |
| 1969 | Karl Schranz | Austria | |
| 1968 | Gerhard Nenning | Austria | |
| 1967 | Jean-Claude Killy | France | |
| 1966 | Karl Schranz | Austria | |
| 1965 | Ludwig Leitner | West Germany | |
| 1964 | | No Race | |
| 1963 | Egon Zimmerman | Austria | |
| 1962 | Willi Forrer | Switzerland | |
| 1961 | Guy P'rillat | France | |
| 1960 | Adrien Duvillard | France | |
| 1959 | Buddy Werner | USA | |
| 1958 | Anderl Molterer | Austria | |
| 1957 | Toni Sailer | Austria | |
| 1956 | Toni Sailer | Austria | |
| 1955 | Anderl Molterer | Austria | |
| 1954 | Christian Pravda | Austria | |
| 1953 | Bernhard Perren | Switzerland | |
| 1952 | | No Race | |
| 1951 | Christian Pravda | Austria | |
| 1950 | Fritz Huber | Austria | |
| 1949 | Egon Sch"pf | Austria | |
| 1948 | Helmut Lantschner | Austria | |
| 1947 | Karl Feix | Austria | |
| 1946 | Thadd"us Schwabl | Austria | |
| 1945 | | No Race | |
| 1944 | | No Race | |
| 1943 | | No Race | |
| 1942 | | No Race | |
| 1941 | | No Race | |
| 1940 | | No Race | |
| 1939 | | No Race | |
| 1938 | | No Race | |
| 1937 | Thadd"us Schwabl | Austria | |
| 1936 | Freidl Pfeifer | Austria | |
| 1935 | Siegfried Engl | Austria | |
| 1934 | | No Race | |
| 1933 | | No Race | |
| 1932 | Walter Prager | Switzerland | |
| 1931 | Ferdl Friedensbacher | Austria | |
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Swiss skier Didier Cuche recently took over from Austrian legends Franz Klammer and Karl Schranz as the stand out skier
on the Hahnenkamm with an incredible five wins, compared to "just four!" wins each for Klammer and Schranz,
whilst Swiss champions Franz Heinzer and Pirmin Zurbriggen have taken the title three times
along with French racer Luc Alphand.
| Number of Titles | Name | Nationality | Years |
| 5 | Didier Cuche | Switzerland | 1998 2008 2010 2011 2012 |
| 4 | Franz Klammer | Austria | 1975 1976 1977 1984 |
| 4 | Karl Schranz | Austria | 1966 1969 1972 1972 |
| 3 | Franz Heinzer | Switzerland | 1991 1992 1992 |
| 3 | Luc Alphand | France | 1995 1995 1997 |
| 3 | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Switzerland | 1985 1985 1987 |
| 2 | Anderl Molterer | Austria | 1955 1958 |
| 2 | Christian Pravda | Austria | 1951 1954 |
| 2 | Fritz Strobl | Austria | 1997 2000 |
| 2 | Josef Walcher | Austria | 1978 1978 |
| 2 | Lasse Kjus | Norway | 1999 2004 |
| 2 | Peter Wirnsberger | Austria | 1986 1986 |
| 2 | Roland Collombin | Switzerland | 1973 1974 |
| 2 | Sepp Ferstl | West Germany | 1978 1979 |
| 2 | Stephan Eberharter | Austria | 2002 2004 |
| 2 | Steve Podborski | Canada | 1981 1982 |
| 2 | Thadd"us Schwabl | Austria | 1937 1946 |
| 2 | Toni Sailer | Austria | 1956 1957 |
| 1 | Adrien Duvillard | France | 1960 |
| 1 | Atle Sk_rdal | Norway | 1990 |
| 1 | Bernhard Perren | Switzerland | 1953 |
| 1 | Bruno Kernen | Switzerland | 1983 |
| 1 | Buddy Werner | USA | 1959 |
| 1 | Daniel Mahrer | Switzerland | 1989 |
| 1 | Daron Rahlves | USA | 2003 |
| 1 | Didier Defago | Switzerland | 2009 |
| 1 | Egon Sch"pf | Austria | 1949 |
| 1 | Egon Zimmerman | Austria | 1963 |
| 1 | Ferdl Friedensbacher | Austria | 1931 |
| 1 | Freidl Pfeifer | Austria | 1936 |
| 1 | Fritz Huber | Austria | 1950 |
| 1 | Gerhard Nenning | Austria | 1968 |
| 1 | G_nther Mader | Austria | 1996 |
| 1 | Guy P'rillat | France | 1961 |
| 1 | Hans Knauss | Austria | 1999 |
| 1 | Harti Weirather | Austria | 1982 |
| 1 | Helmut Lantschner | Austria | 1948 |
| 1 | Hermann Maier | Austria | 2001 |
| 1 | Jean-Claude Killy | France | 1967 |
| 1 | Karl Feix | Austria | 1947 |
| 1 | Ken Read | Canada | 1980 |
| 1 | Kristian Ghedina | Italy | 1998 |
| 1 | Ludwig Leitner | West Germany | 1965 |
| 1 | Marc Girardelli | Luxembourg | 1989 |
| 1 | Michael Walchhofer | Austria | 2006 |
| 1 | Patrick Ortlieb | Austria | 1994 |
| 1 | Siegfried Engl | Austria | 1935 |
| 1 | Todd Brooker | Canada | 1983 |
| 1 | Walter Prager | Switzerland | 1932 |
| 1 | Willi Forrer | Switzerland | 1962 |
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The 72nd running of the Hannenkamm races saw
Didier Cuche
claim a record-breaking 5th victory on a cutdown course, with the top section having to be removed because of the extreme
weather conditions that were affecting Kitzbuhel and many parts of Austria - namely too much fresh snow and poor visibility on
the higher sections.
With Arnold Schwarzenegger watching on as guest of honour
the event was effectively a downhill sprint, with nearly half of the course missing, including the classic early jumps
and the infamous Mausefalle and Steilhang sections, due to the lowering of the course.
Austrian youngster Joachim Puchner got the fanatical home crowd into high spirits as he took a great early lead.
Frenchman Johan Clarey, coming down 8th was just 0.04 behind, just losing a potential competition-leading run on the last jump.
Puchner held the lead right up to the 16th racer, and current downhill leader Beat Feuz. Feuz was behind by half a second to
start with and was in all sorts of trouble coming off one of the jumps but some how pulled it round and was only nine
hundredths of a second behind Puchner by the time he crossed the line.
With the snow still bucketing it down conditions were horrendous for the skiers, with poor visibility a major factor.
Bode Miller was never really in contention but did pull off one of the most incredible recoveries ever seen - losing an edge
and with his ski totoatlly rotated he manged to keep going and correct it before the other ski sliiped out and again he managed
to correct it and get back on track. A fantastic recovery but Bode was never on the pace because if the time he lost there.
Next up was Didier Cuche, the 37 year old Swiss skier's last time in the race and looking to break the record as the first man
to win the Hannenkamm five times. And a totally focused Cuche flew down the course, and into the lead by three-tenths of a
second. The earlier disappointment of the race having to be shortened was now completely unfounded as it was an incredibly
exciting race. And it was about to get even more so, as the two following Austrians, Klaus Kroell and Romed Baumann both came
within a whisker of taking first spot, but Cuche held on.
Canadian Jan Hudec, at 30 years of age one of the oldest Hannekamm rookie's, looked like he was about to cause a massive upset
but was leaning back on the final jump and, looking almost like a ski jumper, lost vital tenths of a second and Cuche survived
again. As the remaining top 30 skiers ticked down it was left to Andrei Sporn to provide the last real danger to Cuche - and
danger it was too, with Sporn leading at all the intermediate timings but as with so many others he just lost time on the last
quarter of the course.
So Cuche capped a strange day by making history in becoming the first racer to win the Hannenkamm five times, an incredible
feat that may not be broken in our lifetime.
Hats off to Franz Klammer for having the class and good grace to stand in the finish area and applaud Cuche as his record was
broken, and hats off to all the skiers on the day for making it such an exciting race in such testing and dangerous conditions.
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Pre-race favourite Didier Cuche destroyed the rest of the field by storming to victory by nearly a second
ahead of American Bode Miller. 26 year old Frenchman Adrien Theaux pulled off the shock of the day as he grabbed the
final place on the podium, just edging out Austrian Mario Scheiber. It was a sad day for home favourite Michael Walchhofer,
who having announced that this would be his final season was skiing the event for the final time.
Nearly 45,000 packed the slopes and finish area, many hoping to see Walchofer extend his lead at the top of the
downhill standings, and despite suffering knee and throat injuries in a training run the Austrian started well but then
hit a bump in the mid section and came a cropper over the Seidalmsprung. There were no such problems for veteran
Swiss-ace Cuche though, who had been fastest in training and carried his form into the race proper, hurtling down
the Streif to take the race for the 2nd year running, and becoming only the third racer in history, alongside
Austrian legends Franz Klammer and Karl Schranz, to win the race 4 times. Cuche also became the oldest winner of
an FIS World Cup race, his 36 years and 5 months making him older than the previous record holder - Liechtenstein's
Marco Buechel having won a Super G in Kitzbuhel back in 2008 when he was also 36.
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Keywords:
: FIS Alpine Ski World Cup List of Men's Downhill Champions Kitzbuhel
: alpine ski racing annual competition kitzbuhel austria
: list of best downhill skiers and ski racers in kitzbuhel history
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