Ulrike Maier
Encyclopedia
Ulrike Maier was an Austria
n alpine ski racer
, two-time Super-G World Alpine Ski Champion.
Born in Rauris
, Maier won the Super-G
gold medal at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in both 1989
and 1991
. She also took home the giant slalom
silver medal in the 1991 event. She recorded 5 World Cup victories (2 Super-G, 3 Giant Slalom) and 21 podiums in her career.
, Germany
, Maier crashed while skiing at 120 km/h (75 mph) down the slope and broke her neck. She died of her injuries shortly after being evacuated to the hospital in nearby Murnau
, Germany
, at age 26. She had thought to retire at the end of the 1993-1994 season. However, she was reconsidering her decision in the days before the fateful downhill, planning to continue until 1995 World Championships in Spain
.
Initially it was claimed that her death was caused by hitting a wooden timing post. Based on that claim, Maier's fiance Hubert Schweighhofer criticised the organizers of the race and filed suit against them. However, several months later the court found that Maier actually did not hit the timing post with her head but probably broke her neck by crashing into a pile of snow on the border of the race course. The court did not find any negligence from the organizers and dismissed the suit.
Unlike most other deadly skiing accidents, her fatal crash happened during a race which was broadcast live on TV.
Maier was survived by her daughter and was buried in her home village of Rauris
, 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...
n 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...
, two-time Super-G World Alpine Ski Champion.
Born in Rauris
Rauris
Rauris is a municipality in Salzburg in the area of Pinzgau in Austria. There are about 3,150 inhabitants living in Rauris.- Geography :...
, Maier won the 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:...
gold medal at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in both 1989
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989 were held in Vail, Colorado, U.S.A., from February 2-12, 1989.Vail and Beaver Creek would also host the World Championships a decade later, in 1999....
and 1991
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1991
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1991 were held in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria between January 22 and February 3, 1991....
. She also took home the 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....
silver medal in the 1991 event. She recorded 5 World Cup victories (2 Super-G, 3 Giant Slalom) and 21 podiums in her career.
Accident
On 29 January 1994 during a World Cup downhill race in Garmisch-PartenkirchenGarmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Maier crashed while skiing at 120 km/h (75 mph) down the slope and broke her neck. She died of her injuries shortly after being evacuated to the hospital in nearby Murnau
Murnau am Staffelsee
Murnau am Staffelsee is a market town in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region of Bavaria, Germany.Murnau is situated on the edge of the Bavarian alps, approx. 70 km south of Munich. Directly to its west is the Staffelsee lake.-History:Murnau was first documented in...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, at age 26. She had thought to retire at the end of the 1993-1994 season. However, she was reconsidering her decision in the days before the fateful downhill, planning to continue until 1995 World Championships in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Initially it was claimed that her death was caused by hitting a wooden timing post. Based on that claim, Maier's fiance Hubert Schweighhofer criticised the organizers of the race and filed suit against them. However, several months later the court found that Maier actually did not hit the timing post with her head but probably broke her neck by crashing into a pile of snow on the border of the race course. The court did not find any negligence from the organizers and dismissed the suit.
Unlike most other deadly skiing accidents, her fatal crash happened during a race which was broadcast live on TV.
Maier was survived by her daughter and was buried in her home village of Rauris
Rauris
Rauris is a municipality in Salzburg in the area of Pinzgau in Austria. There are about 3,150 inhabitants living in Rauris.- Geography :...
, 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...
.
Individual races
5 total: 3 Giant Slalom, 2 Super-G| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 28 November 1992 |  Park CityPark City Mountain Resort Park City Mountain Resort is a ski resort in Park City, Utah, located east of Salt Lake City. The resort has been a major tourist attraction for skiers from all over the United States, as well as a main employer for many of Park City's citizens. Park City, as the resort is often called by locals,... |
Giant Slalom |
| 13 December 1992 | Vail Vail, Colorado The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived... |
Super-G |
| 16 January 1993 |  Cortina d'AmpezzoCortina 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... |
Super-G |
| 27 November 1993 | Santa Caterina Santa Caterina -Places:* Santa Caterina state, Brazil*Santa Caterina Albanese, in the Province of Cosenza, Italy*Santa Caterina dello Ionio, in the Province of Catanzaro, Italy*Santa Caterina Villarmosa, in the Province of Caltanissetta, Italy... |
Giant Slalom |
| 21 January 1994 |  MariborMaribor Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor.... |
Giant Slalom |
External links
- Ski-db.com - Ulrike Maier
- Deadly Ski Accident from Ulrike Maier - YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Ulrike "Ulli" Maier At Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...