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Egon Zimmerman)
Egon Zimmermann (born 8 February 1939 in Lech am Arlberg[1]), often referred to as Egon Zimmermann II, is a former alpine skier from Austria. Zimmermann was an Olympic medalist and won several medals on the professional tour in the late 60s and early 70s.
He is often confused with Egon Zimmermann I (born 19 February 1933 in Innsbruck), who competed in the Alpine World Ski Championships 1958 and in the 1960 Winter Olympics.
[edit] Early life
Zimmermann was raised on a farm near Lech, with two brothers. Lech blossomed into a ski resort in the time that he was growing up, his family converted their farm house into a pensione. His childhood coincided with the World War II post-war poverty of Austria, so not only did Zimmermann have no formal training, but his skis were often "fourth or fifth-hand."[2] At 15, his father forced him to learn a trade, and he schooled in a Parisian chef program. He returned to Austria by 18 and won a clean sweep of the 1958 Junior Championships. When he was promoted to the National team, Zimmermann commented "For me it was also the realization of a childhood dream, a dream interrupted by a kitchen."
[edit] Career peak and Olympics
He swept the 1962 Chamonix Championships, and was named the "Skier of the Year" in 1963 by European journalists.
For the 1964 Olympics, the "dashing" and "handsome"[2] Zimmermann was heavily favored to win. However, the course was quite difficult (nicknamed the "Course of Fear"), but he still managed to win by only .74 seconds. Despite not sweeping the events, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.[3]
[edit] Personal life
He is a hotel owner in Lech am Arlberg. Zimmermann suffers from multiple sclerosis.[1][4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Sports References.com
- ^ a b A Fight For Life By The Home Team, Sports Illustrated, 1-27-64
- ^ Russian Blades And Fast French Skis, Sports Illustrated, 2-10-64
- ^ Wallechinsky, David; Jaime Loucky (2005). The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics, Toronto: Sport Classic Books. ISBN 1-894963-45-8
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