Benjamin Raich
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Raich (born February 28, 1978 in Arzl im Pitztal
, Tyrol
, Austria
) is a champion alpine ski racer
who won gold medals in the giant slalom and slalom at the 2006 Winter Olympics
of Turin
, Italy
. He is one of the best alpine racers of all time.
debut in March 1996
. He scored his first victory in 1999, in slalom.
In 2001 he won the silver medal in Slalom at the World Championships, and at the end of the season he won the Slalom World Cup. In 2002 he won two bronze medals at the Salt Lake City Olympics
.
Raich, who became better at faster specialities such as Super-G
and Downhill with age also, in 2005
barely missed out on the overall World Cup title, placing second to American Bode Miller
. At the 2005 World Championships he won a total of five medals, one for each race except for the downhill.
He won the 2006
World Cup overall title in the most successful season of his career, as well as Olympic gold medals in slalom and giant slalom.
Throughout his career Raich has been known for his consistency which led to him to second places in the overall world cup in 2005
, 2007
, 2008
, 2009
and 2010
(narrowly missing out the titles in both 2007
and 2009
by 13 points and 2 points respectively).
His sister Carina Raich also is a ski racer. Raich is engaged to skier Marlies Schild
.
Arzl im Pitztal
Arzl im Pitztal is a municipality in the district Imst, Tyrol, Austria. It is located at an elevation of 883 m, with a population of about 2,900. The city of Imst lies 3 km north of the location. The name Arzl probably comes from the word „arcella“, which means „small castle“. The Pitze River...
, Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) is a champion alpine ski racer
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
who won gold medals in the giant slalom and slalom at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...
of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He is one of the best alpine racers of all time.
Career
After winning Junior World Championships in both slalom and giant slalom, Raich made his World CupAlpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
debut in March 1996
1996 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 30th World Cup season began in November 1995 in Tignes, France, and concluded in March 1996 at the World Cup finals in Lillehammer, Norway. The overall champions were Lasse Kjus of Norway and Katja Seizinger of Germany....
. He scored his first victory in 1999, in slalom.
In 2001 he won the silver medal in Slalom at the World Championships, and at the end of the season he won the Slalom World Cup. In 2002 he won two bronze medals at the Salt Lake City Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events held near Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. The downhill, Super G, and combined events were held at Snowbasin, the giant slalom at Park City, and the slalom at Deer Valley...
.
Raich, who became better at faster specialities such as Super-G
Super Giant Slalom skiing
The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:...
and Downhill with age also, in 2005
2005 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 39th World Cup season began in October 2004 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2005 at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The overall winners were Bode Miller of the U.S. and Anja Pärson of Sweden....
barely missed out on the overall World Cup title, placing second to American Bode Miller
Bode Miller
Samuel Bode Miller is an American alpine ski racer. He is an Olympic and World Championship gold medalist, a two-time overall World Cup champion in 2005 and 2008, and is generally considered the greatest American alpine skier of all time...
. At the 2005 World Championships he won a total of five medals, one for each race except for the downhill.
He won the 2006
2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 40th World Cup season began in October 2005 and concluded at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden, in March 2006. The schedule included a nearly month-long break in February for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy....
World Cup overall title in the most successful season of his career, as well as Olympic gold medals in slalom and giant slalom.
Throughout his career Raich has been known for his consistency which led to him to second places in the overall world cup in 2005
2005 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 39th World Cup season began in October 2004 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2005 at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The overall winners were Bode Miller of the U.S. and Anja Pärson of Sweden....
, 2007
2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the...
, 2008
2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
, 2009
2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December...
and 2010
2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany....
(narrowly missing out the titles in both 2007
2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the...
and 2009
2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December...
by 13 points and 2 points respectively).
His sister Carina Raich also is a ski racer. Raich is engaged to skier Marlies Schild
Marlies Schild
Marlies Schild is a World Cup alpine ski racer. She is a specialist in the technical disciplines of giant slalom and slalom and has won multiple medals in Olympic and World Championship competitions, as well as three World Cup season titles.-Skiing career:At the beginning of her career, her...
.
Season titles
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 2001 2001 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 35th World Cup season began in October 2000 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2001 at the World Cup finals at Åre, Sweden. The overall winners were Hermann Maier of Austria and Janica Kostelić of Croatia.... |
Slalom Slalom skiing Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :... |
| 2005 2005 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 39th World Cup season began in October 2004 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2005 at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The overall winners were Bode Miller of the U.S. and Anja Pärson of Sweden.... |
Slalom |
| Giant Slalom Giant Slalom skiing Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G.... |
|
| Combined Alpine skiing combined Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:... |
|
| 2006 2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 40th World Cup season began in October 2005 and concluded at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden, in March 2006. The schedule included a nearly month-long break in February for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.... |
Overall |
| Combined | |
| Giant Slalom | |
| 2007 2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the... |
Slalom |
| 2010 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany.... |
Combined |
Individual races
35 total: 14 slalom, 14 giant slalom, 7 combined| Season | Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 1999 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 33rd World Cup season began in October 1998 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded at the World Cup finals at Sierra Nevada, Spain, in March 1999. The overall winners were Lasse Kjus of Norway and Alexandra Meissnitzer of Austria.... |
January 7, 1999 |  SchladmingSchladming Schladming is a small mining town in the Austrian state of Styria, that is now very popular with tourists. It has become a large ski resort and has held various skiing competitions recently. The shopping area has lots of cafes, restaurant and a variety of shops and caters well for tourists.As of... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
Slalom Slalom skiing Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :... |
| January 10, 1999 | Flachau Flachau Flachau is a village in the district of St. Johann im Pongau in the Salzburg state, Austria, with a population of 2,639 . Its numerous skiing facilities are part of the Ski Amadé network of ski areas, the largest in Europe.- History :... , Austria |
Giant Slalom Giant Slalom skiing Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G.... |
|
| January 17, 1999 |  WengenLauberhorn The Lauberhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, located between Wengen and Grindelwald. Its summit is at an elevation of 8110 feet above sea level.... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
Slalom | |
| 2000 2000 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 34th World Cup season began in October 1999 and concluded at the World Cup finals in March 2000. The overall winners were Hermann Maier and Renate Götschl, both of Austria.- Men's Overall Results:- Men's Downhill Results:... |
February 26, 2000 | Yongpyong, South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
Giant Slalom |
| March 18, 2000 |  BormioBormio Bormio is a town and comune located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy. It has a population of 4,200... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Giant Slalom | |
| 2001 2001 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 35th World Cup season began in October 2000 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2001 at the World Cup finals at Åre, Sweden. The overall winners were Hermann Maier of Austria and Janica Kostelić of Croatia.... |
January 14, 2001 | Wengen, Switzerland |
Slalom |
| January 21, 2001 | Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel The Hahnenkamm is a mountain in Austria, directly south of Kitzbühel, in the Kitzbühel Alps. The elevation of its summit is above sea level.The Hahnenkamm is part of the ski resort of Kitzbühel, and hosts the annual World Cup alpine ski races, the Hahnenkammrennen... , Austria |
Slalom | |
| January 23, 2001 | Schladming, Austria |
Slalom | |
| March 11, 2001 |  ÅreÅre (ski area) Åre is an alpine ski area in Sweden, founded in 1909. It is located in Åre Municipality, Jämtland, just outside and above the village of Åre, approximately 80 km from the city of Östersund. The ski lift system is on the Åreskutan mountain, at an elevation of 1420 meters ; its absolute summit... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Slalom | |
| 2002 2002 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 2002 Alpine Skiing World Cup began in October 2001 and ended in March 2002 at the World Cup finals held in Altenmarkt, Austria. The overall winners were Stephan Eberharter and Michaela Dorfmeister, both from Austria.... |
December 21, 2001 |  Kranjska GoraKranjska Gora Kranjska Gora is a town and a municipality on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region of northwest Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is best known as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps... , Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of... |
Giant Slalom |
| 2004 2004 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 38th World Cup season began in October 2003 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded at the World Cup finals in Sestriere, Italy, in March 2004. Sestriere would host the alpine skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics.... |
January 3, 2004 | Flachau, Austria |
Giant Slalom |
| January 18, 2004 | Wengen, Switzerland |
Slalom | |
| January 27, 2004 | Schladming, Austria |
Slalom | |
| 2005 2005 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 39th World Cup season began in October 2004 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2005 at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The overall winners were Bode Miller of the U.S. and Anja Pärson of Sweden.... |
December 5, 2004 |  Beaver CreekBeaver Creek Resort Beaver Creek Resort is a major United States ski resort near Avon, Colorado, run by Vail Resorts. The resort comprises three villages, the main Beaver Creek Village, Bachelor Gulch, and Arrowhead to the west... , CO Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... , USA |
Slalom |
| January 14, 2005 | Wengen, Switzerland |
Combined | |
| 2005 World Championships |
|||
| February 26, 2005 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia |
Giant Slalom | |
| 2006 2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 40th World Cup season began in October 2005 and concluded at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden, in March 2006. The schedule included a nearly month-long break in February for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.... |
December 21, 2005 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia |
Giant Slalom |
| January 7, 2006 | Adelboden Adelboden Adelboden is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.-Geography:Adelboden lies in the west of the Berner Oberland, at the end of the valley of the Engstlige river, which flows in Frutigen into the Kander river.Adelboden is a... , Switzerland |
Giant Slalom | |
| January 13, 2006 | Wengen, Switzerland |
Super Combined | |
| January 22, 2006 | Kitzbühel, Austria |
Combined | |
| February 3, 2006 |  ChamonixChamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Super Combined | |
| 2006 Winter Olympics Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:... |
|||
| March 10, 2006 |  Shiga Kōgen, JapanJapan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Slalom | |
| March 17, 2006 | Åre, Sweden |
Giant Slalom | |
| 2007 2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the... |
November 12, 2006 |  LeviLevi, Finland Levi, located in Finnish Lapland, is the largest ski resort in Finland. The resort is located in Kittilä municipality and is served by Kittilä Airport and Kolari train station. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is located approximately north of the Arctic Circle.The Levi fell is at an elevation of... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Slalom |
| January 6, 2007 | Adelboden, Switzerland |
Giant Slalom | |
| January 23, 2007 | Schladming, Austria |
Slalom | |
| 2007 World Championships |
|||
| March 3, 2007 | Kranjska Gora, Slovenia |
Giant Slalom | |
| March 9, 2007 |  KvitfjellKvitfjell Kvitfjell is a ski resort in the municipality of Ringebu, Norway. Kvitfjell is one of the most modern resorts in the world, with 85% of the alpine skiing pistes covered in artificial snow. Based near the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, the resort offers 23 pistes: 5 green , 9 blue , 6 red , and 3 black... , Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
Super-Combined | |
| March 18, 2007 | Lenzerheide Lenzerheide Lenzerheide is a mountain resort in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It lies at the foot of the Parpaner Rothorn. The village belongs to the municipality Vaz/Obervaz in the district of Albula, sub-district Alvaschein.... , Switzerland |
Slalom | |
| 2008 2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy.... |
December 9, 2007 | Bad Kleinkirchheim Bad Kleinkirchheim Bad Kleinkirchheim is a municipality in Spittal an der Drau, Carinthia, Austria. Until the middle of the 20th century, agriculture was the dominant focus, but it is now a renowned spa and ski resort... , Austria |
Slalom |
| 2009 2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December... |
December 7, 2008 | Beaver Creek, CO, USA |
Giant Slalom |
| December 12, 2008 | Val-d'Isère, France |
Super Combined | |
| January 10, 2009 | Adelboden, Switzerland |
Giant Slalom | |
| March 13, 2009 | Åre, Sweden |
Giant Slalom | |
| 2010 2010 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 44th World Cup season began on October 24, 2009, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2010, at the World Cup finals in Garmisch, Germany.... |
December 11, 2009 | Val-d'Isère, France |
Super Combined |
External links
- Ski-DB.com - Results - Benjamin Raich
- Raich.at - official site