Markus Wasmeier (; born 9 September 1963) is a German former World Cup alpine skier. He was World champion and two times Olympic champion.
Career At the 1985 World Championships at Bormio, Italy, he won the giant slalom at age 21, before recording a World Cup victory.
Born in Schliersee, Bavaria, West Germany, Wasmeier's first World Cup Race was on 5 February 1983, when he finished 49th in the downhill Race at St. Anton am Arlberg. He gained his first World Cup points in January 1984 by capturing 10th place in the Alpine Combined at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and that December, he achieved his first podium in (Giant slalom at Sestiere, Italy). In a downhill race in February 1987 at Furano, Japan, he broke two vertebrae and missed the rest of the season.
Wasmeier won a total of nine World Cup races, starting with two victories on 9 February 1986, in the Combined and Super-G events at Morzine, France.
The surprising result of double Olympic gold for Wasmeier at age thirty gained him the title of 1994 "Sportsman of the Year" in Germany,
World Cup results Season standings Season Age Overall Slalom GiantSlalom Super G Downhill Combined 1984 20 61 — 27 notawarded — 31 1985 21 10 — 9 19 5 1986 22 3 41 8 1 14 2 1987 23 3 44 6 3 14 — 1988 24 6 — 15 2 14 4 1989 25 5 — 21 6 9 2 1990 26 20 — 29 9 17 3 1991 27 40 — — 6 — 11 1992 28 7 — 23 9 6 3 1993 29 14 44 35 13 17 13 1994 30 25 — 17 10 38 15
Season titles Season Discipline 1986 Super-G
Individual races 9 wins (2 DH, 6 SG, 1 K) Season Date Location Discipline1986 9 February 1986 Morzine, France CombinedSuper-G16 March 1986 Whistler, Canada Super G1987 6 December 1986 Val-d'Isère, France Super-G11 January 1987 Garmisch, West Germany Super G17 January 1987 Wengen, Switzerland Downhill1988 10 January 1988 Val-d'Isère, France Super G1991 17 March 1991 Lake Louise, Canada Super G1992 11 January 1992 Garmisch, Germany Downhill
World championship results Year Age Slalom Giant Slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 1985 21 — 1 not run 20 7 1987 23 — 13 3 9 5 1989 25 — 13 5 29 5 1991 27 — — 13 24 DNF 1993 29 — 9 canceled 35 14
Olympic results Year Age Slalom Giant Slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 1988 24 — 19 DNF 6 7 1992 28 — DNF1 9 4 5 1994 30 — 1 1 36 DNS SL1
After racing After retiring from competitive skiing, Wasmeier founded the farm and winter sport museum Bauernhof- und Wintersportmuseum Schliersee on 1 May 2007, and he has remained its curator and patron ever since. The museum provides insight into traditional Bavarian peasant life and aims to preserve old traditions by communicating them to coming generations.
In 2009, Wasmeier shared his passion for building restoration and preserving tradition with an international group of young people through his involvement with the D&F Academy (now The DO School). Wasmeier worked with an international group of young people to restore a 17th-century farmhouse in the German Alps utilizing original materials, traditional tools, wood-crafting and handicraft techniques. He remains involved with the DO School as an advisor and supporter.
From 1993 to 1994, he was a commentator for the German Television Broadcaster ARD until 2007 and from 2008 until 2014. He is a consultant in the German Skiing Federation since 2000. Married since 1991, his wife Brigitte is a South Tyrolian.
References
External links
Markus Wasmeier World Cup standings at the International Ski Federation