 Christl Haas in 1962 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 September 1943 |
| Died | 8 July 2001 (aged 57) |
| Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Alpine skiing |
| Club | Kitzbüheler Ski Club |
Christl Haas (19 September 1943 – 8 July 2001) was anAustrian Alpine skier. She competed at the 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympics and won a gold and a bronze medal, respectively.
Haas grew up inHahnenkamm, Kitzbühel, known for its alpine skiing courses. At theWorld Cup she won fourdownhill competitions in total.[2] At the Alpine skiing World Championship 1962 inChamonix,France, she won gold in the downhill competition.
Haas became a national hero as a twenty-year-old Olympic champion in thedownhill event at the firstInnsbruck Winter Olympics. She became an instant superstar in her homeland as she won the gold medal in her home nation. Haas followed up her success at Innsbruck with a bronze medal at the1968 Winter Olympics inGrenoble, France.[1]
After retiring from competitions Haas became a ski instructor and opened a sporting goods store in Sankt Johann. As an Austrian gold medalist, Haas was selected with lugerJosef Feistmantl to light the Olympic torch for the opening of the1976 Winter Olympics on 4 February 1976.[1][3] In 2001, she had a heart attack while swimming in theMediterranean Sea atAntalya,Turkey and died as a result.[4]
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Günther Zahn | Final Olympic torchbearer 1976 Innsbruck With:Josef Feistmantl | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Hideo Takada | Final Winter Olympic torchbearer 1976 Innsbruck With:Josef Feistmantl | Succeeded by Charles Morgan Kerr |
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