Austrian · Vienna, Austria · Born 25 March 1973Austrian alpine skier who capped her career with a historic Olympic double, becoming the first woman to win both downhill and super-G gold at the same Winter Games.
Michaela Dorfmeister was born on 25 March 1973 in Vienna, the only daughter of a butcher, and began skiing at age four near the small resort of Neusiedl before studying at the renowned Schladming ski academy. She made her World Cup debut in December 1991 in Serre Chevalier, France, and won her first race at St. Anton in 1995, going on to become Austrian champion for four consecutive seasons. Dorfmeister's first major success came at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, where she won silver in the super-G, missing gold by just one hundredth of a second. She developed into one of the World Cup's most consistent speed racers through the early 2000s, winning the giant slalom title in 2000 and the overall World Cup crown in 2002, followed by discipline titles in downhill (2003) and super-G (2005). Three months before the 2006 Turin Olympics, Dorfmeister announced she would retire at the end of the season - and delivered one of the great farewell performances in the sport's history. She won downhill gold on 15 February, Austria's first title in the event since Annemarie Moser-Pröll in 1980, and five days later added super-G gold despite the scoreboard delay leaving her to learn of her victory from rival Janica Kostelic. This made her the first woman to complete the Olympic speed double since the super-G joined the programme in 1988. She retired immediately afterward with 25 World Cup wins and 64 podiums, and was twice named Austrian Sportswoman of the Year.
Becoming the first woman to win Olympic gold in both downhill and super-G at the same Winter Games, at the 2006 Turin Olympics
How They Played
Powerful, precise speed skier who excelled on demanding downhill and super-G courses, known for peaking under maximum pressure
Lasting Impact
Remembered for one of alpine skiing's great farewell performances, retiring on the ultimate high with a rare Olympic speed double
Career Honours
- 2x Olympic Gold Medalist (2006 Downhill and Super-G)
- 1998 Olympic Silver Medalist, Super-G
- 2002 Overall World Cup Champion
- First woman to win the Olympic downhill/super-G double at the same Games
Austrian Athletes