German · Tegernsee, Germany · Born 4 October 1989German alpine skier and 2010 Olympic giant slalom champion, who won the title with just one World Cup podium to her name before becoming a consistent force in the discipline for a decade.
Viktoria Rebensburg was born on 4 October 1989 in Tegernsee, Bavaria, and rose rapidly through German junior ranks, winning gold in super-G at the 2008 Junior World Championships and a further two golds in giant slalom and super-G in 2009, which earned her Germany's Junior Sportswoman of the Year award. She made her senior World Cup debut in 2006. Rebensburg arrived at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with only a single World Cup podium finish to her name - a second place a month earlier - and finished a modest 28th in the super-G. Yet in the giant slalom she produced the performance of her career, sitting sixth after a fog-shrouded first run before a weather delay pushed the deciding second run to the following day, where she edged out Tina Maze by just 0.04 seconds to claim a stunning gold medal at age 20, her first international victory of any kind. Rebensburg went on to establish herself as one of the world's premier giant slalom skiers, winning the World Cup discipline title in 2011, 2012, and 2018, and adding two further Olympic medals in her signature event - bronze at Sochi 2014 and silver at Pyeongchang 2018. She also won World Championship silver medals in giant slalom in both 2015 and 2019. On 1 September 2020, following an injury that prevented her from returning to top form, Rebensburg announced her immediate retirement after 13 seasons, finishing with 19 World Cup victories and 49 podiums.
Winning a stunning Olympic giant slalom gold at Vancouver 2010 with almost no prior senior success, then becoming one of the world's most consistent giant slalom specialists for a decade
How They Played
Technically precise giant slalom specialist known for calm composure and consistency, with strength also in super-G and downhill later in her career
Lasting Impact
Remembered as one of Germany's most successful modern alpine skiers, whose unlikely Olympic breakthrough launched a decade of sustained excellence in giant slalom
Career Honours
- 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist, Giant Slalom
- 3x World Cup Giant Slalom Champion (2011, 2012, 2018)
- 2x Olympic Medalist (2014 Bronze, 2018 Silver, both Giant Slalom)
- 2x World Championship Silver Medalist, Giant Slalom (2015, 2019)
German Athletes