Helmut THALER

Helmut Thaler was primarily a doubles slider, winning the 1964 Olympic silver medal with Reinhold Senn. In 1968 Thaler slid singles at the Grenoble Winter Olympics, placing 14th. In 1960 Thaler won a silver medal at the World Championships in doubles, sliding with his brother, non-Olympian Herbert. He won another World medal, a bronze, in 1961, this time with Senn. Helmut Thaler and Senn also won a silver medal at the 1967 European Championships, and they were Austrian champions in 1966-68. Thaler later served as coach of the Austrian luge team from 1973-88. He was given the Silver Medal for Service to the Austrian Republic in 1996.