1. Early life and background
Elisabeth Görgl was born on 20 February 1981, in Bruck an der Mur, Styria, Austria. She was raised in a family deeply rooted in alpine skiing, which significantly influenced her own athletic path.
1.1. Family
Görgl comes from a distinguished skiing family. Her mother, Traudl Hecher (born 1943), was also an Austrian alpine racer who competed in the early 1960s. Traudl Hecher famously won two Olympic bronze medals in the downhill event, first at the 1960 Winter Olympics (at the age of 16), and again at the 1964 Winter Olympics. She remains the youngest Olympic medalist in alpine skiing history. Half a century later, Elisabeth Görgl mirrored her mother's achievement by winning a downhill bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Elisabeth's older brother, Stephan Görgl (born 1978), also pursued a career in alpine skiing, becoming a former World Cup alpine racer. He competed in the giant slalom event at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
2. Career
Elisabeth Görgl's professional alpine skiing career spanned 17 seasons, from 2000 to 2017, during which she consistently competed at the highest levels of the sport, earning numerous victories and medals in major international competitions.
2.1. World Cup debut and early career
Görgl made her World Cup debut on 10 March 2000, at the age of 19. Representing the Kapfenberger Sportvereinigung club, she quickly established herself as a versatile competitor. She achieved World Cup podium finishes in all five alpine disciplines: downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and combined. Her first World Cup victory came in January 2008, when she won the giant slalom race at Maribor, Slovenia. Throughout her World Cup career, Görgl accumulated a total of 7 individual race victories, comprising 2 downhill wins, 3 super-G wins, and 2 giant slalom wins. She also achieved a remarkable 42 podium finishes in World Cup races, with 14 in downhill, 6 in super-G, 15 in giant slalom, 3 in slalom, 1 in parallel slalom, and 3 in super combined. She ranked as high as 4th in the overall World Cup standings in both 2008 and 2011. She also placed 2nd in the giant slalom and super-G discipline standings in 2008, 2nd in super-G in 2010, and 3rd in downhill in 2012.
2.2. Major championships
Görgl represented Austria in numerous major international ski championships, including the Winter Olympics and the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, where she achieved multiple medal successes.
2.2.1. Olympic Games
Görgl participated in three Winter Olympics:
- 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy: She competed in the downhill event but did not finish the race.
- 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada: This was her most successful Olympic appearance. She won two bronze medals, one in the downhill and another in the giant slalom. She also placed 5th in the Super-G, 7th in the Slalom, and 18th in the Combined event.
- 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia: She finished 11th in the giant slalom and 16th in the downhill. She did not finish her races in the Super-G and Combined events.
Below is a table summarizing her results at the Winter Olympics:
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 24 | - | - | - | DNF | - |
| 2010 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 18 |
| 2014 | 32 | - | 11 | DNF | 16 | DNF2 |
2.2.2. World Championships
Görgl competed in seven FIS Alpine World Ski Championships:
- 2003 in St. Moritz, Switzerland: She did not finish her slalom race.
- 2005 in Bormio, Italy: She was disqualified in the slalom, finished 7th in giant slalom, and 8th in combined.
- 2007 in Åre, Sweden: She placed 18th in the downhill.
- 2009 in Val d'Isère, France: She won a bronze medal in the super combined event. She also had strong finishes, placing 4th in downhill, 6th in Super-G, 10th in giant slalom, and 31st in slalom.
- 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany: This was her most successful World Championships, where she won two gold medals. She first secured gold in the Super-G, and then five days later, she won her second gold in the downhill. Her sweep of the two women's speed events (Super-G and Downhill) was a notable achievement, marking the third consecutive occurrence of such a feat at the World Championships, following Lindsey Vonn in 2009 and Anja Pärson in 2007. She also finished 5th in combined and 10th in giant slalom.
- 2013 in Schladming, Austria: She finished 6th in combined, 10th in downhill, 11th in Super-G, and 23rd in giant slalom.
- 2015 in Vail / Beaver Creek, United States: She placed 6th in the downhill but did not finish her Super-G race.
Below is a table summarizing her results at the World Championships:
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 21 | DNF1 | - | - | - | - |
| 2005 | 23 | DSQ1 | 7 | - | - | 8 |
| 2007 | 25 | - | - | - | 18 | - |
| 2009 | 27 | 31 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 2011 | 29 | - | 10 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2013 | 31 | - | 23 | 11 | 10 | 6 |
| 2015 | 33 | - | - | DNF1 | 6 | - |
2.3. World Cup results
Elisabeth Görgl's World Cup career is characterized by consistent top-tier performance across various disciplines, marked by numerous podium finishes and individual race victories.
2.3.1. Season standings
The following table details Elisabeth Görgl's overall and discipline-specific standings in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup seasons:
| Season | Overall | Slalom | Giant Slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 41 | 18 | 27 | - | - | - |
| 2004 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 38 | - | - |
| 2005 | 12 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 34 | 11 |
| 2006 | 10 | 36 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 15 |
| 2007 | 11 | 35 | 11 | 23 | 14 | 8 |
| 2008 | 4 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 8 |
| 2009 | 8 | - | 4 | 14 | 10 | 5 |
| 2010 | 6 | 29 | 20 | 2 | 26 | 4 |
| 2011 | 4 | 33 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| 2012 | 6 | - | 7 | 9 | 3 | 10 |
| 2013 | 19 | - | 15 | 14 | 24 | 13 |
| 2014 | 8 | - | 31 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| 2015 | 8 | - | 25 | 7 | 4 | 14 |
| 2016 | 28 | - | - | 14 | 13 | - |
| 2017 | 54 | - | - | 16 | 39 | - |
2.3.2. Race victories
Elisabeth Görgl achieved 7 individual World Cup victories during her career. Her wins include 2 in downhill, 3 in Super-G, and 2 in giant slalom. She also recorded a total of 42 podium finishes across various disciplines.
| Season | Date | Location | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 12 Jan 2008 | Maribor, Slovenia | Giant slalom |
| 15 Mar 2008 | Bormio, Italy | Giant slalom | |
| 2010 | 6 Dec 2009 | Lake Louise, Canada | Super-G |
| 2012 | 7 Jan 2012 | Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria | Downhill |
| 2014 | 11 Jan 2014 | Altenmarkt, Austria | Downhill |
| 23 Jan 2014 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Super-G | |
| 2015 | 21 Dec 2014 | Val-d'Isère, France | Super-G |
3. Retirement
Elisabeth Görgl announced her retirement from active competitive skiing on 12 June 2017, at the age of 36. Her final professional race was a Super-G event held in Aspen, United States, in March of the same year.
4. Legacy and reception
Elisabeth Görgl concluded her career as one of Austria's most accomplished alpine ski racers of her generation. Her remarkable consistency across multiple disciplines, demonstrated by her World Cup podiums in all five categories, underscores her versatility and skill. Her two Olympic bronze medals from the 2010 Vancouver Games, especially the downhill bronze, which mirrored her mother's achievement decades earlier, highlight a unique family legacy in the sport. The two gold medals she secured at the 2011 World Championships, particularly sweeping both speed events (Super-G and Downhill), cemented her place among elite alpine skiers. Throughout her 17-season career, Görgl consistently performed at the sport's highest levels, contributing significantly to Austria's strong tradition in alpine skiing. Her determination and consistent results make her a respected figure in the history of the sport.