Bernhard Russi is a former 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...

. He was an Olympic

Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Sapporo, Japan, from February 5–13, 1972. The downhills were held at Mount Eniwa, and the four technical events at Teine.-Downhill:February 7, 1972...

, World Cup

1971 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The 5th World Cup season began in December 1970 in Italy and concluded in March 1971 in Sweden. Gustav Thöni of Italy won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...

, and World

FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970

The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970 were held in Gröden/Val Gardena, Italy, from February 8-15, 1970.For the only time, results from the World Championships were included in the World Cup points standings, then in its fourth season.-External links:...

 champion in the downhill event.

Russi made his World Cup debut at age 19 in January 1968

1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The second World Cup season began in January in West Germany and concluded in April in the U.S. Jean-Claude Killy of France repeated as the overall champion, and announced his retirement from World Cup competition. Nancy Greene of Canada repeated as the women's World Cup overall champion.For the...

 at a 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....

 in 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...

. After two races in 1968 and six in 1969

1969 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The third World Cup season began in December 1968 and concluded in March 1969. Karl Schranz of Austria won the first of two consecutive overall titles...

, he joined the World Cup circuit full time in December 1969

1970 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The fourth World Cup season began in December 1969 in France and concluded in March 1970 in Norway. Karl Schranz of Austria won his second consecutive overall title. Michèle Jacot of France won the women's overall title....

. A month later, he recorded his first World Cup top ten finish in January 1970

1970 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The fourth World Cup season began in December 1969 in France and concluded in March 1970 in Norway. Karl Schranz of Austria won his second consecutive overall title. Michèle Jacot of France won the women's overall title....

 at the Lauberhorn

Lauberhorn

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....

 downhill in Wengen

Wengen

Wengen may refer to:*Wengen, a village and winter resort in Switzerland*La Val, a commune in South Tyrol, Italy with the German name "Wengen"*in Germany:**Wengen , a village in the municipality of Nennslingen in Mittelfranken...

. The next month he won his first event, the downhill at the 1970 World Championships

FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970

The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970 were held in Gröden/Val Gardena, Italy, from February 8-15, 1970.For the only time, results from the World Championships were included in the World Cup points standings, then in its fourth season.-External links:...

, ahead of Karl Cordin of Austria and Australian Malcolm Milne

Malcolm Milne

Malcolm Milne is a former Australian Olympic skier.In 1968, at the age of 19, Malcolm competed in his first Olympics at Grenoble, France. In an era dominated by Jean-Claude Killy, Malcolm finished twenty-fourth of eighty-six starters, with a time only 5.51 seconds behind Killy...

. Two years later at the 1972 Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Sapporo, Japan, from February 5–13, 1972. The downhills were held at Mount Eniwa, and the four technical events at Teine.-Downhill:February 7, 1972...

 in Sapporo, Japan

Japan

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...

, he won the gold medal in the same discipline on Mt. Eniwa

Mount Eniwa

is an active volcano located in Shikotsu-Toya National Park in Hokkaidō, Japan. It sits opposite Mount Tarumae and Mount Fuppushi on the shores of Lake Shikotsu, the caldera lake that spawned the volcanoes. Mount Eniwa is the tallest of the three volcanoes....

. Countryman Roland Collombin

Roland Collombin

Roland Collombin is a former champion alpine ski racer, a two-time World Cup downhill champion....

 secured the silver and a Swiss "double victory." Russi won the World Cup season title in downhill in 1971

1971 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The 5th World Cup season began in December 1970 in Italy and concluded in March 1971 in Sweden. Gustav Thöni of Italy won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...

 and 1972

1972 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The 6th World Cup season began in December 1971 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1972 in France. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his second of three consecutive overall titles...

.

Four years later at the 1976 Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Innsbruck, Austria, from February 5–13, 1976.Similar to the 1964 games, the men's downhill was held on Patscherkofel , the other five events at Axamer Lizum....

 in Innsbruck

Innsbruck

- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...

, 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...

, Russi nearly retained his Olympic title with a very fast time in the downhill at Patscherkofel

Patscherkofel

Patscherkofel is a mountain and ski area in Tyrol in western Austria, 7 km south of Innsbruck. The peak rises to a summit elevation of 7639 feet above sea level...

, but took the silver medal. He finished 0.33 seconds behind Franz Klammer

Franz Klammer

Franz Klammer is a former champion alpine ski racer. Klammer overwhelmingly dominated the downhill event for four consecutive World Cup seasons . He was the gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, winning the downhill at Patscherkofel in dramatic fashion...

 of Austria, who started 15th, the last of the top seeds. Through 2010

Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The ten events were scheduled for February 13–27, 2010; weather delayed the first event, the men's downhill, two days until Monday, February 15....

, no Olympic champion in the downhill has repeated.

Russi retired from international competition following the 1978

1978 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The 12th World Cup season began in December 1977 and concluded in March 1978. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his third consecutive overall title. Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein won the women's overall title....

 season with 10 World Cup victories, 28 podiums, and 52 top ten finishes. In addition to his two downhill titles in 1971 and 1972, Russi was second in 1973

1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive....

 and third in 1976

1976 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The 10th World Cup season began in December 1975 in France and concluded in March 1976 in Canada. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...

 and 1977

1977 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The 11th World Cup season began in December 1976 in France and concluded in March 1977 in Spain. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his second of three consecutive overall titles. Lise-Marie Morerod of Switzerland won the women's overall title.-Calendar:...

. His best finish in the overall standings was fifth, achieved three times in 1971, 1972, and 1977

From 1948

Alpine skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics

At the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, the six alpine skiing events were held from Monday, February 2 to Thursday February 5, 1948.After these games, the combined event was dropped as an Olympic medal event for four decades, until 1988...

 through 1980

Alpine skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Lake Placid, New York, U.S.A.. The races were held at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington from February 14–23, 1980....

, the Winter Olympics also served as the world championships for alpine skiing. During the early seasons of the World Cup, the Olympics (1968)

1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The second World Cup season began in January in West Germany and concluded in April in the U.S. Jean-Claude Killy of France repeated as the overall champion, and announced his retirement from World Cup competition. Nancy Greene of Canada repeated as the women's World Cup overall champion.For the...

  and world championships (1970)

1970 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The fourth World Cup season began in December 1969 in France and concluded in March 1970 in Norway. Karl Schranz of Austria won his second consecutive overall title. Michèle Jacot of France won the women's overall title....

 were included in the World Cup season standings; these major competitions were excluded beginning with the 1971

1971 Alpine Skiing World Cup

The 5th World Cup season began in December 1970 in Italy and concluded in March 1971 in Sweden. Gustav Thöni of Italy won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...

 season.

Beginning with the 1988 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten events were held at the Nakiska ski area in Kananaskis from February 15-27, 1988....

, Russi has been noted as the designer of the downhill courses for the Olympics

Alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing has been contested at every Winter Olympics since 1936, when a combined event was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. From 1948–80, the Winter Olympics also served as the World Championships in Olympic years...

. This stemmed from dissatisfaction with the courses at the 1980

Alpine skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Lake Placid, New York, U.S.A.. The races were held at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington from February 14–23, 1980....

 and 1984

Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics

Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia .The men's races were held at Bjelašnica, the women's at Jahorina from February 13-19, 1984....

 games; since Russi took over, there have been few complaints.

Season titles

Season	Discipline
1971 1971 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 5th World Cup season began in December 1970 in Italy and concluded in March 1971 in Sweden. Gustav Thöni of Italy won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...	Downhill
1972 1972 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 6th World Cup season began in December 1971 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1972 in France. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his second of three consecutive overall titles...	Downhill

Individual podiums

Season	Date	Location	Race	Place
1970 1970 Alpine Skiing World Cup The fourth World Cup season began in December 1969 in France and concluded in March 1970 in Norway. Karl Schranz of Austria won his second consecutive overall title. Michèle Jacot of France won the women's overall title....	February 15, 1970	Val Gardena, 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...  - (W.Ch.) FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970 The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970 were held in Gröden/Val Gardena, Italy, from February 8-15, 1970.For the only time, results from the World Championships were included in the World Cup points standings, then in its fourth season.-External links:...	Downhill	1st
1971 1971 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 5th World Cup season began in December 1970 in Italy and concluded in March 1971 in Sweden. Gustav Thöni of Italy won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...	January 16, 1971	St. Moritz St. Moritz St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden... , 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....	Downhill	2nd
	January 31, 1971	Megève Megève Megève is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Megève is a famous ski resort near the Mont-Blanc in the French Alps... , 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...	Downhill	1st
	February 13, 1971	Mt. Ste. Anne Mont-Sainte-Anne Mont-Sainte-Anne is a ski resort in the city of Beaupré, Quebec, Canada, located about northeast of Quebec City. The mountain has a summit elevation of 800 metres above sea level and a vertical drop of 625 m . There are 66 trails covering on three different sides of the mountain... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...	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....	1st
	February 18, 1971	Sugarloaf, USA	Downhill	1st
1972 1972 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 6th World Cup season began in December 1971 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1972 in France. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his second of three consecutive overall titles...	December 5, 1972	St. Moritz St. Moritz St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden... , Switzerland	Downhill	1st
	January 14, 1972	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 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...	Downhill	3rd
	1972 Winter Olympics
	February 25, 1972	Crystal Mtn, USA	Downhill	1st
	February 26, 1972		Downhill	2nd
	March 25, 1972	Val Gardena, Italy	Downhill	1st
1973 1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive....	January 7, 1973	Garmisch Garmisch Classic Garmisch Classic is an alpine ski resort in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany. The resort is in the Bavarian Alps, and its maximum elevation is 6726 feet above sea level, with a vertical drop of 4429 feet... , West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....	Downhill	3rd
	January 13, 1973	Grindelwald Grindelwald Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at above sea level in the Bernese Alps.-Winter sports:... , Switzerland	Downhill	1st
	January 27, 1973	Kitzbühel, Austria	Downhill	2nd
	February 3, 1973	St. Anton, Austria	Downhill	1st
1974 1974 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 8th World Cup season began in December 1973 and concluded in March 1974. Piero Gros of Italy won the overall title, denying the runner-up, countryman Gustav Thöni, of a fourth straight overall title. Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fourth of five consecutive.The...	December 22, 1973	Schladming Schladming 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	Downhill	3rd
1975 1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...	January 26, 1975	Innsbruck Patscherkofel Patscherkofel is a mountain and ski area in Tyrol in western Austria, 7 km south of Innsbruck. The peak rises to a summit elevation of 7639 feet above sea level... , Austria	Downhill	2nd
	March 21, 1975	Val Gardena, Italy	Downhill	3rd
1976 1976 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 10th World Cup season began in December 1975 in France and concluded in March 1976 in Canada. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...	December 7, 1975	Val-d'Isère, France	Downhill	3rd
	January 9, 1976	Wengen Lauberhorn 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	Downhill	3rd
	January 17, 1976	Morzine Morzine Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune... , France	Downhill	2nd
	1976 Winter Olympics
1977 1977 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 11th World Cup season began in December 1976 in France and concluded in March 1977 in Spain. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his second of three consecutive overall titles. Lise-Marie Morerod of Switzerland won the women's overall title.-Calendar:...	December 18, 1976	Val Gardena, Italy	Downhill	3rd
	January 15, 1977	Kitzbühel, Austria	Downhill	3rd
	January 22, 1977	Wengen, Switzerland	Downhill	3rd
	January 30, 1977	Morzine, France	Downhill	1st
	January 31, 1977		Downhill	3rd
	February 18, 1977	Laax Laax Laax is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-Geography:Laax has an area, , of . Of this area, 35.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.6% is forested... , Switzerland	Downhill	3rd
	March 12, 1977	Heavenly Valley, USA	Downhill	3rd
1978 1978 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 12th World Cup season began in December 1977 and concluded in March 1978. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his third consecutive overall title. Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein won the women's overall title....	December 22, 1977	Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene... , Italy	Downhill	2nd

External links

• Bernhard Russi.ch - web page
• YouTube.com - video - 1972 Winter Olympics - men's downhill - gold & bronze medalists - from Japanese television - 1972-02-05