Stephan Eberharter

Stephan "Steff" Eberharter (born 24 March 1969) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Austria.

Biography Born in Brixlegg, Tyrol, Eberharter was the winner of the overall World Cup title in 2002 and 2003, as well as the season titles in downhill and super-G. He was the nearest rival of compatriot Hermann Maier in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Eberharter retired from international competition following the conclusion of the 2003–04 season.

Career Eberharter made his World Cup debut during the 1990 season at age 20, where he finished 32nd in the overall standings. The next year he finished second in the super-G standings and won two gold medals at the 1991 World Championships in Saalbach, the super-G and combined. He was voted the Austrian Sportspersonality of the year for 1991.

After injury setbacks, he became particularly successful in the downhill event, and finished third in the downhill standings in 1998 and was the runner-up in 2001. His nemesis on the snow, teammate Maier, was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in August 2001 which sidelined him for the 2002 season. In Maier's absence, Eberharter went on to take the overall World Cup title (and downhill and super-G) in 2002 and 2003. His 2004 victory at the Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbühel is often regarded as one of the most impressive downhill victories in alpine skiing history, besting runner-up Daron Rahlves by a lengthy 1.21 seconds, an equivalent of at .

Eberharter enjoyed success at the World Championships and Olympic Games as well. In 1991 in Saalbach, he won two gold medals in the super-G and combined events. Twelve years later, at St. Moritz in 2003, he took gold in the super-G event again. At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, he finished second in the giant slalom, but went on to take gold in the same event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he also won the bronze medal in the downhill, and took silver in the super-G.

In his final season in 2004, Eberharter won four downhills and the downhill season title; he had twelve podiums, was second in the overall standings, and third in Super-G.

World Cup results

Season titles 7 titles – (2 overall, 3 DH, 2 SG) Season Discipline 2002 Overall Downhill Super-G 2003 Overall Downhill Super-G 2004 Downhill

Season standings Season Age Overall Slalom Giantslalom Super-G Downhill Combined 1990 20 32 — 18 14 — — 1991 21 12 — 7 2 — 5 1992 22 36 25 43 27 57 5 1993 23 29 33 42 12 50 10 1994 24 1995 25 104 — — 51 45 — 1996 26 1997 27 1998 28 3 — 4 3 3 9 1999 29 4 — 2 2 4 — 2000 30 6 — 16 7 6 9 2001 31 2 — 21 4 2 — 2002 32 1 — 3 1 1 – 2003 33 1 — 16 1 1 12 2004 34 2 — 29 3 1 22

Race victories 29 wins – (18 DH, 6 SG, 5 GS) 75 podiums – (38 DH, 24 SG, 13 GS) Season Date Location Discipline 1998 14 Mar 1998 Crans-Montana, Switzerland Giant slalom 1999 20 Nov 1998 Park City, USA Giant slalom 27 Nov 1998 Aspen, USA Super-G 27 Feb 1999 Ofterschwang, Germany Giant slalom 2001 25 Nov 2000 Lake Louise, Canada Downhill 3 Mar 2001 Kvitfjell, Norway Downhill2002 7 Dec 2001 Val-d'Isère, France Super-G 8 Dec 2001 Downhill 15 Dec 2001 Val Gardena, Italy Downhill 12 Jan 2002 Wengen, Switzerland Downhill 18 Jan 2002 Kitzbühel, Austria Super-G 19 Jan 2002 Downhill 27 Jan 2002 Garmisch, Germany Super-G 2 Feb 2002 St. Moritz, Switzerland Downhill 3 Feb 2002 Giant slalom 6 Mar 2002 Altenmarkt, Austria Downhill 2003 27 Oct 2002 Sölden, Austria Giant slalom 30 Nov 2002 Lake Louise, Canada Downhill 1 Dec 2002 Super-G 7 Dec 2002 Beaver Creek, USA Downhill 14 Dec 2002 Val-d'Isère, France Downhill 11 Jan 2003 Bormio, Italy Downhill 17 Jan 2003 Wengen, Switzerland Downhill 22 Feb 2003 Garmisch, Germany Downhill 13 Mar 2003 Kvitfjell, Norway Super-G 2004 10 Jan 2004 Chamonix, France Downhill 24 Jan 2004 Kitzbühel, Austria Downhill 31 Jan 2004 Garmisch, Germany Downhill 6 Mar 2004 Kvitfjell, Norway Downhill

World Championship results Year Age Slalom Giant Slalom Super G Downhill Combined 1991 21 — — 1 — 1 1993 23 — — — — — 1996 26 — — DSQ — — 1997 27 — — — — — 1999 29 — DNF1 4 5 — 2001 31 — — 2 7 — 2003 33 — 23 1 5 —

Olympic results Year Age Slalom Giant Slalom Super G Downhill Combined 1992 22 — — — — — 1994 24 — — — — — 1998 28 — 2 DNF — — 2002 32 — 1 2 3 —