View source for Egon Zimmermann

{{short description|Austrian alpine skier (1939–2019)}}
{{distinguish|Egon Norbert Zimmermann}}
{{pp-move}}
{{Infobox alpine ski racer
|name           = Egon Zimmermann
|disciplines    = [[Downhill skiing|Downhill]], [[giant slalom]], [[Slalom skiing|slalom]], [[Alpine skiing combined|combined]]
|club           = SK Arlberg
|image          = 
|caption        = 
|birth_date     = {{birth date|1939|02|08|df=y}}
|birth_place    = [[Lech (Vorarlberg)|Lech]], [[Vorarlberg]], [[Nazi Germany]]
|death_date     = {{death date and age|2019|08|23|1939|02|08|df=y}}
|death_place    = Lech, [[Austria]]
|height         = 180 cm
|wcdebut        = January [[1967 Alpine Skiing World Cup|1967]] (age 27)<br>''inaugural season''
|retired        = March [[1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup|1968]] (age 29)
|website        = 
|olympicteams   = 2 – ([[Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics|1964]], [[Alpine skiing at the 1968 Winter Olympics|1968]])
|olympicmedals  = 1
|olympicgolds   = 1
|worldsteams    = 4 – ([[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1962|1962]], [[Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics|'64]], [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1966|'66]], [[Alpine skiing at the 1968 Winter Olympics|'68]])<br> &nbsp; &nbsp; ''(includes two Olympics)''
|worldsmedals   = 3
|worldsgolds    = 2
|wcseasons      = 2 – [[1967 Alpine Skiing World Cup|(1967]], [[1968 Alpine Skiing World Cup|1968)]] 
|wcwins         = 
|wcpodiums      = 0
|wcoveralls     = 0 – ''(17th in [[1967 Alpine Skiing World Cup|1967]])''
|wctitles       = 0 – ''(9th in [[Downhill (ski competition)|DH]], [[1967 Alpine Skiing World Cup|1967]])''
|show-medals    = yes
|medals         = 
{{MedalSport |Men's [[alpine skiing]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{AUT}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics|1964 Innsbruck]]|[[Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics – Men's downhill|Downhill]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1962|1962 Chamonix]] |Giant slalom}}
{{MedalBronze| [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1962|1962 Chamonix]] |Downhill}}
}}

'''Egon Zimmermann''' (8 February 1939 – 23 August 2019),<ref name=SR-Olympics>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418070636/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/zi/egon-zimmermann-1.html Sports References.com]</ref> often referred to as '''Egon Zimmermann II''', was a World Cup [[Alpine skiing|alpine ski racer]] and Olympic gold medalist from [[Austria]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vorarlberg.orf.at/stories/3009819/|title=Olympiasieger Egon Zimmermann ist tot|date=23 August 2019}}</ref> Zimmermann won the Olympic downhill at Patscherkofel in 1964 and won several medals on the professional tour in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

==Early life==
Zimmermann was raised on a farm near [[Lech (Vorarlberg)|Lech]], [[Vorarlberg]], with two brothers. Lech blossomed into a ski resort while he was growing up, and his family converted their farm house into a [[pensione]]. His childhood coincided with the post-[[World War II]] poverty of Austria, so not only did Zimmermann have no formal training, but his skis were often "fourth or fifth-hand."<ref name=Fight/> At 15, his father forced him to learn a trade, and he enrolled in a [[chef]] program in Paris. Zimmermann returned to Austria by the time he reached 18, and won a clean sweep of the 1958 Junior Championships. When he was promoted to the National team, he commented: "For me it was also the realization of a childhood dream, a dream interrupted by a kitchen."

==Career peak and Olympics==
Zimmermann won two medals at the [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1962|1962 World Championships]] in [[Chamonix]], a gold in the giant slalom and a bronze in downhill. He was named the "Skier of the Year" in 1963 by European journalists.

For the 1964 Olympics in Austria, the "dashing" and "handsome"<ref name=Fight>{{cite magazine |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1964/01/27/a-fight-for-life-by-the-home-team/ |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Ress |first=Paul |title=A fight for life by the home team |date=27 January 1964 |page=32 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102161141/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135279/index.htm |archive-date=2 January 2013}}</ref> Zimmermann was heavily favored to win. However, the course at Patscherkofel was quite difficult (nicknamed the "Course of Fear"), but he still managed to win by 0.74 seconds. ([[Franz Klammer]] famously won on the same course a dozen years later in [[Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics|1976]].) He did not enter the [[Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics – Men's slalom|
slalom]] and did not finish the [[Alpine skiing at the 1964 Winter Olympics – Men's slalom|giant slalom]]. Despite not sweeping the alpine events as did his compatriot [[Toni Sailer]] in [[Alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics|1956]], Zimmermann appeared on the 10 February 1964 cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' magazine in the United States.<ref name=sicvr>{{cite magazine |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1964/02/10/russian-blades-and-fast-french-skis/ |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Jenkins |first=Dan |title=Russian blades and fast French skis |date=10 February 1964 |page=14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719162340/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1075615/index.htm |archive-date=19 July 2012}}</ref>

==Personal life==
He owned a hotel in Lech am Arlberg and suffered from [[multiple sclerosis]]. Zimmermann also helped create Zimmermann's ski and snowboard in 1969.<ref name=SR-Olympics /><ref>[[David Wallechinsky|Wallechinsky, David]]; Jaime Loucky (2005). ''The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics'', Toronto, ON: Sport Classic Books. {{ISBN|1-894963-45-8}}</ref>

Zimmermann died on 23 August 2019 at the age of 80.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hughes Neghaiwi |first=Brenna |title=Former Olympic champion Zimmermann dead at 80: Austrian Ski... |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alpine-skiing-zimmermann/former-olympic-champion-zimmermann-dead-at-80-austrian-ski-association-idUSKCN1VD238 |access-date=23 August 2019 |publisher=Reuters |date=23 August 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{FIS alpine skier|68294}}
* [http://data.fis-ski.com/dynamic/athlete-biography.html?sector=AL&competitorid=68294&type=st-WC FIS-ski.com] – Egon Zimmermann – World Cup season standings
* {{Austriaforum|AEIOU/Zimmermann%2C_Egon}}
* [http://www.ski-db.com/db/64/cal_1964Inn.asp Ski-db.com] – results – 1964 Winter Olympics
* {{SR/Olympics profile|zi/egon-zimmermann-1}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|egon-zimmermann}}
* [http://www.hotel-kristberg.at/en/egon-zimmermann.html Hotel Kristberg] – Egon Zimmermann – ''{{in lang|en}}''

{{Footer World Champions Giant Slalom Men}}
{{Footer World Champions Downhill Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Downhill Men}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zimmermann, Egon}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Austrian male alpine skiers]]
[[Category:Alpine skiers at the 1964 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Alpine skiers at the 1968 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Austria]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in alpine skiing]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1964 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic cauldron lighters]]
[[Category:Olympic alpine skiers for Austria]]
[[Category:Skiers from Vorarlberg]]
[[Category:20th-century Austrian sportsmen]]