Ludwig LEITNER

Luggi, Hias, and non-Olympian Adalbert Leitner,were brothers from Kleinwalsertal, which is part of Austria, but is accessible only from Germany via Oberstdorf. Luggi first represented Austria, but assumed West German citizenship for the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Games and also started in 1964 at Innsbruck and in 1968 at Grenoble for West Germany, while Hias and Adalbert skied for Austria.

Other than Luggi Leitner in 1965, Sepp Ferstl was the only other German to win the Hahnenkamm downhill on the Streif in Kitzbühel. In the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Leitner was the ski stunt double for actor George Lazenby. In 1964 Leitner was awarded the Silver Bay Leaf, the highest sports award in Germany. He was also the granduncle of Matthias Leitner, who was the son of Michaela Gerg.

Ludwig Leitner won three medals in the Alpine combination at the World Championships, in 1962 (bronze), 1964 (gold) and 1966 (bronze). At the Olympic Games he failed to medal, placing fourth in the 1960 slalom and fifth both in downhill and slalom in 1964 as his best results. He earned 15 national titles and set a world speed record in 1965 (172,744 km/h). Together with his wife he owned a hotel.