Günther MADER

Günther Mader raced World Cup from 1982-98, winning 14 cup races, and through 2013 is one of only five men to have a World Cup race in all five Alpine disciplines. In all he had 41 World Cup podiums, and won the seasonal World Cup in giant slalom in 1989-90 and in combined in 1995-96. He was second in the overall World Cup in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons. In addition to his 1992 Olympic bronze in downhill at Albertville, Mader won six medals at the World Championships, with a silver in slalom at Crans Montana in 1987, and five bronze medals – four in combined in 1987, 1989, 1991, and 1996, and one in Super-G in 1996 at Sestriere.

Mader retired in March 1998 and sadly suffered a stroke only 13 days later, becoming paralyzed on the right side of his body and losing 85% of his language skills. But he mostly recovered and was left with minimal sequelae. He later became racing chief for the ski company Salomon Austria, and wrote a book entitled Life and Survival about his career and recovery from his stroke.