Mario Matt (born 9 April 1979) is an Austrian former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist.[1][2][3]

Mario Matt
Matt during January 2007 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup competitions in Schladming, Styria, Austria
Personal information
Born (1979-04-09) 9 April 1979 (age 45)
Zams, Tyrol, Austria
OccupationAlpine skier
Height190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Skiing career
DisciplinesSlalom, giant slalom, combined
ClubSC ArlbergTirol
World Cup debut21 December 1999
(age 20)
Retired12 March 2015
(age 35)
Websitemariomatt.com
Olympics
Teams2 – (2006, 2014)
Medals1 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams8 – (200115)
Medals5 (3 gold)
World Cup
Seasons16 – (200015)
Wins15 – (14 SL, 1 SC)
Podiums42 – (1 GS, 40 SL, 1 SC)
Overall titles0 – (5th in 2007)
Discipline titles0 – (2nd in SL, 2007)
Medal record
Men's alpine skiing
Representing  Austria
World Cup race podiums
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Slalom 14 11 15
Giant slalom 0 1 0
Combined 1 0 0
Total 15 12 15
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Sochi Slalom
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2001 St. Anton Slalom
Gold medal – first place 2007 Åre Slalom
Gold medal – first place 2007 Åre Team event
Silver medal – second place 2001 St. Anton Combined
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Schladming Slalom
Junior World Ski Championships
Silver medal – second place 1998 Megève Slalom
Silver medal – second place 1999 Pra Loup Combined

Slalom racing career

edit

Born in Zams, Tyrol,[4] Matt made his World Cup debut in December 1999. He claimed 15 World Cup victories: 14 in slalom and one super combined. Matt is also a two-time world champion in slalom, with titles in 2001 and 2007.[5] With a remarkably long career as a top slalom racer, he is the second oldest (after André Myhrer, who won gold in 2018) to win an Olympic gold medal in slalom skiing (in Sochi at the 2014 Winter olympics)[1][2][3] and also the second oldest (after Dave Ryding) to win a (regular) World Cup slalom race.[6] Matt also has the third-longest time interval between first and last World Cup victories (13 years, 10 months, and 22 days), after Ingemar Stenmark and Didier Cuche.

Matt announced his retirement from ski racing on 12 March 2015.[7]

World Cup results

edit

Season standings

edit
Season Age Overall Slalom Giant
slalom
Super-G Downhill Combined
2000 20 23 4
2001 21 17 3
2002 22 29 8 37
2003 23 91 35
2004 24 23 6
2005 25 29 6
2006 26 36 16 23 32
2007 27 5 2 25 11
2008 28 10 4 15 29
2009 29 29 7 40
2010 30 85 31
2011 31 20 4
2012 32 28 7
2013 33 21 6
2014 34 27 6
2015 35 96 29

Race victories

edit
  • 15 wins – (14 SL, 1 SC)
  • 42 podiums – (40 SL, 1 GS, 1 SC)
Season Date Location Discipline
2000 23 Jan 2000   Kitzbühel, Austria Slalom
9 Mar 2000   Schladming, Austria Slalom
2001 19 Dec 2000   Madonna di Campiglio, Italy Slalom
2002 26 Nov 2001   Aspen, USA Slalom
2005 13 Mar 2005   Lenzerheide, Switzerland Slalom
2007 14 Jan 2007   Wengen, Switzerland Super combined
25 Feb 2007   Garmisch, Germany Slalom
4 Mar 2007   Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Slalom
2008 6 Jan 2008   Adelboden, Switzerland Slalom
22 Jan 2008   Schladming, Austria Slalom
17 Feb 2008   Zagreb, Croatia Slalom
2009 14 Mar 2009   Åre, Sweden Slalom
2011 27 Feb 2011   Bansko, Bulgaria Slalom
6 Mar 2011   Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Slalom
2014 15 Dec 2013   Val d'Isère, France Slalom

World Championships results

edit
  Year    Age   Slalom   Giant 
 slalom 
Super-G Downhill Combined
2001 21 1 2
2003 23 DNF1
2005 25 DNF1 11
2007 27 1 11
2009 29 DNF1
2011 31 4
2013 33 3
2015 35 DNF1

Olympic results  

edit
  Year    Age   Slalom   Giant 
 slalom 
Super-G Downhill Combined
2002 22 injured: did not compete
2006 26 DNF1 34
2010 30
2014 34 1

Business career

edit

In 2009, Matt purchased the Krazy Kanguruh bar at the Arlberg resort St. Anton. He also runs a stable where he breeds Arabian horses.[8]

Personal

edit

Matt is the brother of skicross competitor and Olympic silver winner Andreas Matt[8] and fellow alpine skier Michael Matt.[9]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Etchells, Tim (22 February 2014). "Mario Matt holds on for gold, as Ligety blasts course". Ski Racing. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  2. ^ a b Pennington, Bill (22 February 2014). "Slalom champion sets an age record". New York Times. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  3. ^ a b Moore, David Leon (22 February 2014). "After fast start, Ted Ligety falls short in slalom". USA Today. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  4. ^ Arcobelli, Sergio (23 February 2018). "Cose da Matt, Micheal è di bronzo". ilgiornale.it (in Italian). Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  5. ^ "FIS-Ski - biographie". www.fis-ski.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2004.
  6. ^ McKee, Hank (15 December 2013). "Matt becomes oldest man to win World Cup slalom". Ski Racing. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  7. ^ "Mario Matt bids farewell". www.skionline.ch. 12 March 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  8. ^ a b "How a Krazy Kanguruh keeps skiing great Mario Matt busy". CNN. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Die Schachzüge der Matt-Brüder" [The maneuvers of the Matt brothers]. nachrichten.at (in German). 14 February 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
edit