Alexandra MEISSNITZER

Alexandra “Meisi” Meissnitzer graduated from the Skihandelsschule Schladming and began training for a career as a police officer. But by 1989 she was a two-time Austrian Junior Champion and at the 1992 World Junior Championships won a silver in downhill and bronze in Super-G. Thus began a career in which she was one of the world’s top female power skiiers of the 90s and 2000s. She competed in four Winter Olympics (1994-2006), winning a silver in the 1998 giant slalom and bronzes in Super-G in 1998 and 2006. Her greatest international tournament was the 1999 World Championships in Vail, Colorado when she garnered gold medals in both GS and Super-G, later winning a silver medal in downhill at the 2003 Worlds in Sankt Moritz.

Meissnitzer was at her best in 1999, winning the overall World Cup title, adding event World Cups in giant slalom and Super-G, and placing second in the seasonal downhill World Cup. She had seasonal event silvers in Super-G in 1995-96, 2001-02 and 2005-06. Overall, she won 14 World Cup races, with 44 podiums, winning two downhills, seven Super-Gs and five giant slaloms. She won her last World Cup race in 2005 but skiied through the 2007-08 season, retiring after a race in Bormio. Domestically, Meisi was Austrian Champion in downhill in 1994 and Super-G in 1994, 1998, and 2002. She was Austrian Sportswoman of the Year in 1998 and 1999, and in 1998 was given a gold medal for services to the Republic of Austria. After her competitive retirement, Meissnitzer has done commentary for ski racing on television.