Konrad Bartelski
Encyclopedia
Konrad Bartelski is a former British alpine ski racer
who produced the best result by a Briton on the Alpine Skiing World Cup
circuit in 1981 by coming within 0.11 seconds of winning a World Cup downhill race at Val Gardena.
at the age of just 17. Two years later, he finished 15th at the 1974 World Championships
.
In February 1975, he had a dramatic and spectacular fall during the downhill race at Megève
and suffered a concussion and a broken nose which kept him out of action for several weeks. He failed to feature in the top placings for the next five years until finishing 12th at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid
.
on 13 December 1981 when he finished the downhill in 2 minutes 07.52 seconds, just 0.11 behind the race winner Austria
's Erwin Resch
.
Britain had never produced a successful male downhill racer, and Bartelski's performance resulted in the French television commentator saying, "Ce n'est pas possible! C'est un anglais" ("It's not possible, It's an Englishman").
The second placing result remains the highest placing by a Briton in any World Cup race.
each week to follow the performances of a surprise hero, but Bartelski failed to improve on his biggest result. He finished 7th in Schladming
in February 1982 and also had a 13th place and two 15th place finishes during that winter season. He ended the season ranked 19th in the World Cup standings.
He retired from World Cup races in 1983.
on BBC television
- the programme which gained him his fame in his home country.
He also worked for Sky Television
on the Ford Ski Report and Great Escapes and for BBC Radio Five Live
and several broadsheet UK newspapers including The Guardian, Daily Mail, Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times and The Times.
For 10 years he was a director of Badger Sports, a Winter Sports distributor with a £1.25 million turnover.
In the late 1990s, he switched to behind the television cameras, as an assistant producer for Trans World International (TWI) and moved to Octagon CSI in 2001. By 2003 he moved to ESPN Classic Sport
, broadcasting in Italy and France and later the United Kingdom.
He speaks fluent German and Dutch, since he was educated in the Netherlands
.
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 produced the best result by a Briton on the Alpine Skiing World Cup
Alpine 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...
circuit in 1981 by coming within 0.11 seconds of winning a World Cup downhill race at Val Gardena.
Early career
Bartelski grew up in the Netherlands and is of Polish origin. He competed at his first Olympics at the 1972 Winter Games in SapporoAlpine 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...
at the age of just 17. Two years later, he finished 15th at the 1974 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974 were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from February 3-10, 1974.St. Moritz would host the event again in 2003, and hosted the 1948 Winter Olympics and the 1928 Winter Olympics .-External links:...
.
In February 1975, he had a dramatic and spectacular fall during the downhill race at 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...
and suffered a concussion and a broken nose which kept him out of action for several weeks. He failed to feature in the top placings for the next five years until finishing 12th at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid
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....
.
Biggest success
Bartelski stunned the ski-ing world during his performance at the World Cup at Val Gardena, ItalyItaly
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...
on 13 December 1981 when he finished the downhill in 2 minutes 07.52 seconds, just 0.11 behind the race winner 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...
's Erwin Resch
Erwin Resch
Erwin Resch is a former Austrian alpine skier. He won three FIS Alpine Ski World Cup events in his career. In 1982, he finished third in the downhill at the Alpine World Ski Championships.- World Cup victories :...
.
Britain had never produced a successful male downhill racer, and Bartelski's performance resulted in the French television commentator saying, "Ce n'est pas possible! C'est un anglais" ("It's not possible, It's an Englishman").
The second placing result remains the highest placing by a Briton in any World Cup race.
After Val Gardena
British television viewers began to tune in more regularly to Ski SundaySki Sunday
Ski Sunday is the BBC Sports weekly magazine-style television show covering winter sports, broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sundays in a late afternoon or an early evening time-slot...
each week to follow the performances of a surprise hero, but Bartelski failed to improve on his biggest result. He finished 7th in 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...
in February 1982 and also had a 13th place and two 15th place finishes during that winter season. He ended the season ranked 19th in the World Cup standings.
He retired from World Cup races in 1983.
Later career
Towards the end of his career, Bartelski began to make appearances in the commentary box for Ski SundaySki Sunday
Ski Sunday is the BBC Sports weekly magazine-style television show covering winter sports, broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sundays in a late afternoon or an early evening time-slot...
on BBC television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
- the programme which gained him his fame in his home country.
He also worked for Sky Television
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
on the Ford Ski Report and Great Escapes and for BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
and several broadsheet UK newspapers including The Guardian, Daily Mail, Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times and The Times.
For 10 years he was a director of Badger Sports, a Winter Sports distributor with a £1.25 million turnover.
In the late 1990s, he switched to behind the television cameras, as an assistant producer for Trans World International (TWI) and moved to Octagon CSI in 2001. By 2003 he moved to ESPN Classic Sport
ESPN Classic (UK)
The British version of ESPN Classic launched on 13 March 2006 on Sky channel 442, the first channel in the UK under the ESPN branding. On 3 August 2009, ESPN Classic launched on Virgin Media channel 533 as a part of the XL pack, and in early 2011 video on demand content started to appear on the...
, broadcasting in Italy and France and later the United Kingdom.
Personal life
Bartelski, married to Shauna, with a grown up daughter, Sophie, is also a charity worker: Since 1997 he has been President and former chairman of Back-Up, a charity for the disabled, including a number of disabled skiers. He is also Chairman of the Selectors of the British Ski and Snowboard Federation, and a fund-raiser for Christies’ British Ski Team Appeal Auction.He speaks fluent German and Dutch, since he was educated in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
External links
- Official web site
- Bartelski results FIS website