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Wengen Downhill World Cup Race - Lauberhorn
The word 'classic' is often over-used, but not in the case of this race. Set on the slopes of Lauberhorn
above the Swiss resort of Wengen, this is a race that has the lot - history, drama and the best scenery on the world cup calendar.
As well as all the information below it's worth looking at our linked pages for the resort of Wengen and the Jungfrau Ski Region,
both of which have handy information and some webcams of the race area as well as for the surrounding Wengen/Jungfrau area.
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The longest downhill race in the FIS World Cup calendar is also the most beautiful. With a backdrop featuring the north face of the Eiger, the
Monch and Jungfrau, this is one race the organisers don't have to try too hard to sell. At just over 2 and three quarter miles in length, it
takes nearly two and a half minutes for the top racers to get down, dropping like a stone 1000m vertically and at speeds approaching the Ski
Federations maximum limit of 150 km/h (yes, that's over 90 mile per hour !). The race is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to the
first running of it in 1930. Since then it's grown and grown and now attracts about 30,000 spectators for the actual race. The course features
many famous sections such as the Hundschopf jump (where the racers appear to be jumping off a cliff face !); the Kernen-S where the skier
hurtles into a 90 degree turn onto a small bridge and then into another 90 degree turn; the Wasserstation where the skier goes under the
mountain railway in a tunnel, and the infamous Haneggschuss, where the top speeds can approach the 150km/h mark.
Spectators who fancy there chances at emulating the professionals can actually ski the course after the race has finished - which is a bit like
a football fan getting to have a kick around at Wembley after the FA Cup final !
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The list of winnners of the Wengen Lauberhorn Downhill since the event started back at 1930 is as follows:
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Notes |
| 2011 | Klaus Kroll | Austria | |
| 2010 | Carlo Janka | Switzerland | |
| 2009 | Didier D'fago | Switzerland | |
| 2008 | Bode Miller | USA | |
| 2007 | Bode Miller | USA | |
| 2006 | Daron Rahlves | USA | |
| 2005 | Michael Walchhofer | Austria | |
| 2004 | No Race | | |
| 2003 | Bruno Kernen | Switzerland | |
| 2003 | Stephan Eberharter | Austria | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 2002 | Stephan Eberharter | Austria | |
| 2001 | No race | | |
| 2000 | Josef Strobl | Austria | |
| 1999 | Lasse Kjus | Norway | |
| 1998 | Andreas Schifferer | Austria | |
| 1998 | Hermann Maier | Austria | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1997 | Kristian Ghedina | Italy | |
| 1996 | No Race | | |
| 1995 | Kyle Rasmussen | USA | |
| 1995 | Kristian Ghedina | Italy | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1994 | William Besse | Switzerland | |
| 1993 | No Race | | |
| 1992 | Franz Heinzer | Switzerland | |
| 1991 | No Race | | |
| 1990 | No Race | | |
| 1989 | Marc Girardelli | Luxembourg | |
| 1989 | Marc Girardelli | Luxembourg | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1988 | No Race | | |
| 1987 | Markus Wasmeier | West Germany | |
| 1986 | No Race | | |
| 1985 | Helmut Hoflehner | Austria | |
| 1985 | Peter Wirnsberger | Austria | Extra Race on the Sunday |
| 1984 | Bill Johnson | USA | |
| 1983 | No Race | | |
| 1982 | Harti Weirather | Austria | |
| 1981 | Toni Burgler | Switzerland | |
| 1980 | Peter Muller | Switzerland | |
| 1980 | Ken Read | Canada | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1979 | No Race | | |
| 1978 | No Race | | |
| 1977 | Franz Klammer | Austria | |
| 1976 | Franz Klammer | Austria | |
| 1976 | Herbert Plank | Italy | Extra Race on the Friday |
| 1975 | Franz Klammer | Austria | |
| 1974 | Roland Collombin | Switzerland | |
| 1973 | No Race | | |
| 1972 | No Race | | |
| 1971 | No Race | | |
| 1970 | Henri Duvillard | France | |
| 1969 | Karl Schranz | Austria | |
| 1968 | Gerhard Nenning | Austria | |
| 1967 | Jean-Claude Killy | France | |
| 1966 | Karl Schranz | Austria | |
| 1965 | Stefan Sodat | Austria | |
| 1964 | Egon Zimmermann | Austria | |
| 1963 | Karl Schranz | Austria | |
| 1962 | No Race | | |
| 1961 | Guy Perillat | France | |
| 1960 | Willy Bogner | West Germany | |
| 1959 | Karl Schranz | Austria | |
| 1958 | Toni Sailer | Austria | |
| 1957 | Toni Sailer | Austria | |
| 1956 | Toni Sailer | Austria | |
| 1955 | Toni Sailer | Austria | |
| 1954 | Christian Pravda | Austria | |
| 1953 | Anderl Molterer | Austria | |
| 1952 | Othmar Schneider | Austria | |
| 1951 | Othmar Schneider | Austria | |
| 1950 | Fredy Rubi | Switzerland | |
| 1949 | Rudolf Graf | Switzerland | |
| 1948 | Zeno Colo | Italy | |
| 1947 | Karl Molitor | Switzerland | |
| 1946 | Jean Blanc | France | |
| 1945 | Karl Molitor | Switzerland | |
| 1944 | Rudolf Graf | Switzerland | |
| 1943 | Karl Molitor | Switzerland | |
| 1942 | Karl Molitor | Switzerland | |
| 1941 | Rudolf Graf | Switzerland | |
| 1940 | Karl Molitor | Switzerland | |
| 1939 | Karl Molitor | Switzerland | |
| 1938 | Heinz von Allmen | Switzerland | |
| 1937 | Heinz von Allmen | Switzerland | |
| 1936 | Hans Schlunegger | Switzerland | |
| 1935 | Richard Werle | Austria | |
| 1934 | Adolf Rubi | Switzerland | |
| 1933 | No Race | | |
| 1932 | Fritz Steuri | Switzerland | |
| 1931 | Fritz Steuri | Switzerland | |
| 1930 | Christian Rubi | Switzerland | |
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Swiss skier Karl Molitor is the king of the Lauberhorn, having won it 6 times, 5 of them during the war when the race was one of the
few to be run, what with the Swiss being neutral and all that.
Austrian legends Karl Schranz, Toni Sailer and Franz Klammer al come next in the list , along with Swiss skier Rudolph Graz.
Of the modern-day era only Bode Miller and Stephan Eberharter have won it more than once.
| Number of Titles | Name | Nationality | Years |
| 6 | Karl Molitor | Switzerland | 1939 1940 1942 1943 1945 1947 |
| 4 | Karl Schranz | Austria | 1959 1963 1966 1969 |
| 4 | Toni Sailer | Austria | 1955 1956 1957 1958 |
| 3 | Franz Klammer | Austria | 1975 1976 1977 |
| 3 | Rudolf Graf | Switzerland | 1941 1944 1949 |
| 2 | Bode Miller | USA | 2007 2008 |
| 2 | Fritz Steuri | Switzerland | 1931 1932 |
| 2 | Heinz von Allmen | Switzerland | 1937 1938 |
| 2 | Kristian Ghedina | Italy | 1995 1997 |
| 2 | Marc Girardelli | Luxembourg | 1989 1989 |
| 2 | Othmar Schneider | Austria | 1951 1952 |
| 2 | Stephan Eberharter | Austria | 2002 2003 |
| 1 | Adolf Rubi | Switzerland | 1934 |
| 1 | Anderl Molterer | Austria | 1953 |
| 1 | Andreas Schifferer | Austria | 1998 |
| 1 | Bill Johnson | USA | 1984 |
| 1 | Bruno Kernen | Switzerland | 2003 |
| 1 | Carlo Janka | Switzerland | 2010 |
| 1 | Christian Pravda | Austria | 1954 |
| 1 | Christian Rubi | Switzerland | 1930 |
| 1 | Daron Rahlves | USA | 2006 |
| 1 | Didier D'fago | Switzerland | 2009 |
| 1 | Egon Zimmermann | Austria | 1964 |
| 1 | Franz Heinzer | Switzerland | 1992 |
| 1 | Fredy Rubi | Switzerland | 1950 |
| 1 | Gerhard Nenning | Austria | 1968 |
| 1 | Guy P'rillat | France | 1961 |
| 1 | Hans Schlunegger | Switzerland | 1936 |
| 1 | Harti Weirather | Austria | 1982 |
| 1 | Helmut H"flehner | Austria | 1985 |
| 1 | Henri Duvillard | France | 1970 |
| 1 | Herbert Plank | Italy | 1976 |
| 1 | Hermann Maier | Austria | 1998 |
| 1 | Jean Blanc | France | 1946 |
| 1 | Jean-Claude Killy | France | 1967 |
| 1 | Josef Strobl | Austria | 2000 |
| 1 | Ken Read | Canada | 1980 |
| 1 | Klaus Kroll | Austria | 2011 |
| 1 | Kyle Rasmussen | USA | 1995 |
| 1 | Lasse Kjus | Norway | 1999 |
| 1 | Markus Wasmeier | West Germany | 1987 |
| 1 | Michael Walchhofer | Austria | 2005 |
| 1 | Peter M_ller | Switzerland | 1980 |
| 1 | Peter Wirnsberger | Austria | 1985 |
| 1 | Richard Werle | Austria | 1935 |
| 1 | Roland Collombin | Switzerland | 1974 |
| 1 | Stefan Sodat | Austria | 1965 |
| 1 | Toni B_rgler | Switzerland | 1981 |
| 1 | William Besse | Switzerland | 1994 |
| 1 | Willy Bogner | West Germany | 1960 |
| 1 | Zeno Col | Italy | 1948 |
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Bad news for the home nation, with the Austrians still leading the way on the LAuberhorn course, with 29 victories compared
to 25 from the Swiss. The hat-trick of American victories from 2006 to 2008 by Daron Rahlves and Bode Miller catapulted the USA
to be the third most successful nation on the hill, and one of the most surprising facts is that the Canadians and the
Scandanavians only have one victory each here thanks to two legends of the sport Ken Read and Lasse Kjus.
| Number of Titles | Nation | Years |
| 29 | Austria | 1935 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1963 1964 1965 1966 1968 1969 1975 1976 1977 1982 1985 1985 1998 1998 2000 2002 2003 2005 2011 |
| 25 | Switzerland | 1930 1931 1932 1934 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1947 1949 1950 1974 1980 1981 1992 1994 2003 2009 2010 |
| 5 | USA | 1984 1995 2006 2007 2008 |
| 4 | France | 1946 1961 1967 1970 |
| 4 | Italy | 1948 1976 1995 1997 |
| 2 | Luxembourg | 1989 1989 |
| 2 | West Germany | 1960 1987 |
| 1 | Canada | 1980 |
| 1 | Norway | 1999 |
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Fantastic sunny weather, an exciting race, and forty thousand Swiss fans screaming on a home win, made for a fantastic
82nd running of the Lauberhorn downhill race at the classic Swiss resort of Wengen.
1st out of the blocks came Austrian skier Hannes Reichelt who'd set the fastest time during Friday's training run.
His time of 2 min 35.75 seconds looked fast in comparison to the training times, and so it proved to be
as the following set of skiers failed to get anywhere near it. The only skier out of the first ten to come down to look like challenging it was Carlo Janka. The Swiss skier, who has suffered from back injuries in the last year, showed
signs of a return to form as he came in just 0.15 seconds behind Reichelt, whilst six skiers later Italian
racer Christof Innerhofer got even closer - just 5 hundredths of a second beind.
The Austrian held 1st place until bib 16 came down - the new Swiss sensation Beat Feuz. The 24 year old from
Schangnau came flying down the Lauberhorn in 2 min 35.31, an incredible 0.44 seconds faster than Reichelt.
Immediately after Feuz came Didier Cuche, and despite winning the overall downhill title four times, the Swiss legend was still looking for his first victory here, and whilst every Swiss race fan and every neutral would love to see the likeable 37 year old claim victory here it just wasn't to be. His was always behind the time of Feuz and could never claim any time back, eventually finishing nearly 1 and a half seconds behind.
Last years Lauberhorn champion Klaus Kroell was flying down soon after, he had a fine run but couldn't match last year's feat, although his time of 2:36.20 was extremely respectable and put him into fifth place at the time, and 6th by the end of the race. The 2009 champion Dider Defago and Norwegian star Aksel Lund Svindal were soon following, but neither of them troubled
the top 10, let alone Feuz, so it was down to Bode Miller as the last real challenge, and it was hearts-in-mouths time for Feuz and the masses of Swiss fans lining the course as the American hurtled down the slope, with the split times see-sawing between just ahead and just behind. Just as it looked like Bode might claim his 3rd Lauberhorn victory following back to back victories in 2007 and 2008, disaster struck and he lost half a second with a mistake right at the final section of the race that saw him end up in 5th place, 0.77 seconds behind, a shame as his run had deserved at least a place on the podium.
Just as it looked like Feuz could sit back and relax their was one more potential shock on the cards, as another Swiss youngster Marc Gisin literally flew down the first half of the course and was ahead just before the halfway mark only to lose an edge and nearly crash out. He somehow managed to get back on track and incredibly claw some time back despite the error but the final energy-sapping sections would cost him his chance and he eventually finished back in 11th, but it was a fitting finale to a fantastically entertaining race.
An incredible 66,000 spectators watched the three days of racing, a new record for the event and 4,000 up on the previous year.
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Keywords:
: FIS Alpine Ski World Cup List of Men's Downhill Champions Wengen
: alpine ski racing annual competition wengen austria
: list of best downhill skiers and ski racers in wengen history
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