Franz Klammer's Gold Medal Run - Innsbruck 1976

[1habicher]

Einfach herrlich!

[bobke114]

I too remember watching this live. I live in Texas with no snow and I have never even tried to ski. I had heard of Klammer and maybe watched him on ABC at some point before the Olympics.. The performance ranks at the top of my all-time sports events. Klammer delivered when the pressure was on. I have never heard anyone ask him if he ever thought he was out of control. He certainly pushed the limits. This and maybe Secretariat and Ali-Frazier. All classics.

[bobke114]

I too remember watching this live. I live in Texas with no snow and I have never even tried to ski. I had heard of Klammer and maybe watched him on ABC at some point before the Olympics.. The performance ranks at the top of my all-time sports events. Klammer delivered when the pressure was on. I have never heard anyone ask him if he ever thought he was out of control. He certainly pushed the limits.

[golfdude2007]

simply the Best !!!!!!!!!!!

[irish89055]

Well, Denver, maybe you'll get an Olympic chance again in say, 2074

[eltamin1966]

Klammers No 15 at the end of the top seeds heightened the suspense all the more.

He felt he wasn't fast enough and during the race decided to take a more risky route. And with the Olympic Games at home in Austria there was hardly ever such pressure on an Alpine skier to win after his chain of brilliant successes since December 1974. I was a great Klammer fan back then and very relieved after the race.

[ellandelachapelle]

When I was 10 (in 1960) I spent a week skiing in Kitzbühel. (just for fun. Never competing.) And while I was skiing around in nice and easy hills I saw a boy of 5 or 6 throwing himself fearlessly down the highest alp! (I just gaped. And couldn´t believe my eyes. I thought he must be BORN with skis.) What if it was Kaiser Franz? (I´ve never forgotten it. I can still see him before me.)

[Setigr]

@ellandelachapelle I think it wasn't him (he was a 7-year old Carinthian peasant boy at the time). But it's true that he was born to ski ;-)

[MarcocassLA]

When I was a kid this race was such a big deal. I guess skiing was bigger then. One of the important events of the 1970's. I'll never forget it.

[yellow1209]

I remember watching this race when I was a kid and learning what the term "reckless abandon" was all about...he is the inspiration for so many who took up the sport and taught us not to be afraid of speed...he is truly the DH

[RockbertoRocks]

I remember watching Klammer's feat on TV in Mexico when I was 12. He became a HERO! Thinking he was about to crash any moment. Thanks for sharing!

[Entertainmentwriter]

Regardless of when the actual commentary was done, I recall watching this and expecting to crash at any second. Truly amazing. Watching downhill in person makes me think that these athletes, men and women, are doing something so remarkable in sports that words can hardly do their skills justice.

[AllBobsAllTheTime]

I had heard that Beattie and Gifford had faked the call on this race for the Western hemisphere audience - anyone know if that's true??

[headlesssoldier]

@AllBobsAllTheTime from what I understand, yes. I THINK this was made to seem as if it were the last run of the event, and it wasn't.

[mkehat493]

His was the last run of the top seeds. Nobody after him threatened to overtake him, and he had to deal with a churned-up slope that slowed him down more than those who preceded him.

[riverman70]

@AllBobsAllTheTime

Beattie and Gifford's call was made 12 hours after the race. They were in a studio watching it on tape. I have heard an interview with Beattie about this subject. It was common in those days.

[oldironnow]

Great memories for we who watched on TV, Must be FANTASTIC memories for those who were on the slopes!

[llensart]

I remember watching on TV , one of the gripping Olympic moments which i will never forget .

[garenner]

I also remember watching this on TV when I was 14! It seems like only yesterday.He was just on the edge of out of control. It was an olympic moment I have will never forget. Great to see it again on YouTube.

[mondosam]

I saw this on TV when I was 11. I'll never forget this; one of the most amazing sports moments I ever witnessed.

[alfazedz]

The female announcer for the women's downhill just referenced Kalmmer's run, saying that in order to get gold, the competitor (don't know who she was) would have to go all out like Klammer in '76. What an epic run for Klammer. Like you all, I'll never forget. I was 16.

[elmapacheable]

I was 10 when I watched this. I still remember Bob Beattie saying, "He's almost into the haybales!" In fact, I'd like to give a shout out to Bob Beattie and Frank Gifford for their call of this race. They did an awesome job and Beattie in particular was just awesome; so able to capture the drama of the moment even with the grain of his voice. Truly an underrated call and I give you, Mr. Beattie, a major +1.

[irish89055]

great run and memory... love Beattie but could have done without the Gifford...

[bufbarnaby]

I started skiing about 5 years before this and saw this live on TV. We were all amazed and he was our hero growing up.

My most amazing sports memory that will go to the grave with me.

[bigjimsteelrod]

I was a kid in Southeast Texas, I had seen snow once in my life-but, I'll never forget watching this with my Brother-

[Riddick51PB]

Thank you, Mr. Klammer for the memories. I was 15 yrs during Innsbruck '76. YouTube makes the colors of his suit look faded. Franz was wearing bright yellow with a bright red helmet that day on live TV. Redline skiing at it's best.

[mrraphelps]

This is really fun! Reading these comments is nearly as thrilling as having watched the race itself. I was 10, it was my first Olympics, it was WAY past my bedtime, and I was glued to the TV. This is the most exciting individual moment in Olympic history. Thank you, YouTube!!!

[cranesfc]

Just treated my 19 year old daughter to Klammer's amazing run and it impressed her. This run will go down in history as the best Olympic downhill ever.

[bigphreaking]

No body can ski like the Austrians. Olympics today are a shallow comparism to cats like Klammer. The days before corporations and greed spoiled the games. Franz was the real deal.

[shareen2828]

I was 13 and I remember watching this and sitting on pins and needles loosing my mind! My brother and I were having a cow!! Looking at this now, he is so all over the place and sloppy, its amazing he didn't lose it and crash!! Still amazing.

[czarkhasm]

In all my fifty-four years, this is without a doubt my most favourite Olympic moment. I don't recall if I saw it live or on tape delay (regardless, I *do* recall watching it at the time without knowing what the result would be) but my heart skipped a beat with each of Bob Beattie's gasps. His (and even Gifford's) commentary helped make this as exciting for the TV viewer as it probably was for many on the course in Innsbruck.

[ooseruth]

Thank God for YouTube. I was sitting here with my wife watching Lindsay Vonn win the Gold medal in the Womens downhill when I made a comment about the greatest downhill run ever. I was remembering Franz Klammer's downhill run from the 1976 Olympics so I decided to see if I could find a video of this incredible run. I watched this run live when I was 16 but the most exciting things that you ever see you will never forget.

[mginger66]

I'm right there with you. I was ten in '76 and can still remember it. Him wearing the yellow suit and looking like he was going to fall on every jump was so exciting. Couldn't remember which country he was even from but I just typed in Franz, olympics, and downhill and this was the first video to come up. It's great.

[AGK972]

I agree! I was 11 watching on TV, and remember how on the edge of my seat I was, how he almost fell many times, and how at the end, I could finally breath again when the time showed he won. Awesome!

[bufbarnaby]

I will never forget this. Franz is my hero !

[stfarrar997]

Definitely one of my favorite sports memories

[hillguy57]

I agree the call on NBC sucked. They turn everything into a sound bite and take all the thrill out of the event. Corporate sponsorship my a@@

[brittonthurlow]

Wow, I too saw this live. I was 12. I looked for it because the Canadian that wiped out looked like he was going to make an all or nothing run like Franz.

[atmayfair]

LIke many other I saw this live and I agree this was one of the greatest thrills I ever had as a spectator. And one other thing. Having just watched the pathetic, delayed, abbreviated downhill coverage of NBC, another thing that stands out is the excellent commentary by Gifford and Beattie. They actually called the race, unlike the saps tonight who spent most of the runs talking about where guys grew up and their injuries. I don't think they showed more than 8 runs. Pathetic.

[EmeraldCityPensacola]

I remember watching this live and getting goosebumps. His run was absolutely unbelievable. It seems if you saw it live it would stay with you forever.

[WeeWyllie]

Many of you have said it, and I agree - this is one of the greatest moments in all of sports! If it had been in a movie, you would have said that it was overdone, that real life could never produce such a moment. Franz was simply not ready to settle for second place. Even now, as I watched this video yet again, I found myself expecting Franz to fall. What a competitor!

[1907Quarter]

I was 14 years old when I saw this. I remember having the flu and a temp of 104.3F. Watching this made my symptoms all go away! What an exciting race. From that time forward I loved watching downhill.

[Bruiser48]

Next to the Miracle on Ice, this is my all time favorite Winter Olympics moment. I still remember how exciting it was watching it at the time.

[areaman714]

i agree . . . as far as drama and excitement goes in winter olympics history goes . . . the miracle on ice was number one (at least for team sports) and klamer's run was number 2 (number one in individual sports) . . .

[talma16]

the greatest ski race in history - he was on the edge of losing control all the way down, but he had to be to win. One fo the most exciting two minutes in sports history.

[hellawaits77NY]

@talma16

Absolutely. On the edge of disaster

[skirson1]

Looks like we were all watching that night in '76, thanks for posting, I looked for this last year and couldn't find it. Still the most exciting 2 minutes in televised sports-ever! It was the cover of sports illustrated the next week. Russi had been in 1st place since being the 2nd starter in the last group of 15, and Klammer went last, or at least that's how they televised it. I recall them saying the entire skiing industry of Austria was riding on his shoulders.

[FLAVBLEND]

He was on one ski at a couple of points

[wbusch5319]

Klammer's effort was the most amazing athletic feat I have ever witnessed. I has been etched in my memory since 1976, thank you for the post!

[gpmtrad1]

Absolutely the same reaction here, Jim!

It was one of the most stunningly courageous acts in all sports history. I used to race slalom and GS, so I'm familiar with the pressures involved, but Klammer was able to hold on in situations that defy all common sense ( not to mention gravity! )

[danedrive]

Absolutely right, Johnuiii

This really is the Greatest Single Individual Athletic Performance ever and I remember clearly how exciting it was to watch, even 34 years later.

It had all the drama of a top olympic performance but, unlike lesser sports, Downhill Racing has the added risk of serious injury or even death.

Ordinary sports may need dedication but Downhill Racing needs real bravery.

In 1976, this is what set Franz Klammer apart from all the rest.

[Dale4ever3]

WOW!!!!!

[JIMJ32X]

I remember watching that run and it was one of the most exciting things ive ever seen in my life. 34 years later and it still brings chills to my spine.

[shruco]

Thanks so much for posting this. I too watched it "tape-delay live" back in '76, and it remains one of the most memorable sporting performances in my lifetime. I remember telling my parents as he was halfway down the mountain, "He's either going to win this thing or literally die trying." Klammer belongs with Shun Fujimoto and Kerri Strug in the all-time Balls-Out Olympic Hall Of Fame.

[oldredbarnman]

I've been wanting to see this again for a long time. Awesome Olympic memory, and it shows in Gifford's and Beattie's call!! Thanks for posting.......

[hoganfan924]

Still gives me goosebumps! I remember watching it live as a kid and sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time thinking he was going to wipe out about 5 different times! One of my favorite Olympic memories.

[Johnuiii]

This is the Greatest Single Individual Athletic Event ever witnessed!!!! Period.

[loungerats]

More then the 1980 Miracle on Ice, this is the most memorable Olympic moment I have watched. This run by Klammer "hooked" me on the downhill and I sit captivated each time I watch this.

[mjpprint]

@loungerats - I couldn't agree more! I still gasp at most of the near wipe outs. Watched tonite with my kids who couldn't believe it either! My #1 Olympic moment, also started me skiing.

[ylekiot43]

This was an epic moment in Winter Olympic history.