1. Early life
Vreni Schneider was born in Elm, Switzerland, the daughter of a shoemaker. During her teenage years, her mother died of cancer. This personal tragedy led Schneider to temporarily put her burgeoning ski career on hold and drop out of school to take care of her family's home.
2. Racing career
Schneider made her World Cup debut in 1984 at the age of 20. Throughout her career, which spanned eleven successful seasons from the mid-1980s to April 1995, she specialized in technical events, primarily slalom and Giant slalom. Her consistent performance and dominance in these disciplines established her as a leading figure in women's alpine skiing. After an illustrious career, Schneider announced her retirement in April 1995.
3. Major achievements
Vreni Schneider's career is marked by an impressive array of titles and records across the World Cup, Olympic Games, and World Championships, demonstrating her consistent excellence in alpine skiing.
3.1. World Cup season titles and records
Schneider won the Alpine Skiing World Cup overall title three times, in 1989, 1994, and 1995. She also secured eleven discipline World Cups, with six titles in slalom and five in giant slalom. Her total of 55 World Cup race victories places her fourth all-time among women, behind Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Lindsey Vonn, and Mikaela Shiffrin. She also achieved 101 World Cup podium finishes.
A notable record was set during the 1988-89 season, when Schneider won 14 World Cup races (8 in slalom and 6 in giant slalom). Her 14 World Cup wins in the 1988-89 season also surpassed the men's record of 13 wins, held by Ingemar Stenmark, Hermann Maier, and Marcel Hirscher, a record that remains unbroken. This stood as a record for single-season wins in women's alpine skiing until Mikaela Shiffrin surpassed it in the 2018-19 season. Schneider also holds the record for the most World Cup victories in the giant slalom discipline, with 20 wins. Her 34 slalom victories were a World Cup women's record until Marlies Schild broke it in the 2013-14 season.
The following tables detail her World Cup season titles, overall and discipline standings, and individual race victories:
| Season | |
| Discipline | |
| 1986 | Giant slalom |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Giant slalom |
| 1989 | Overall |
| Slalom | |
| Giant slalom | |
| 1990 | Slalom |
| 1991 | Giant slalom |
| 1992 | Slalom |
| 1993 | Slalom |
| 1994 | Overall |
| Slalom | |
| 1995 | Overall |
| Slalom | |
| Giant slalom |
| Season | |||||||
| Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined | |
| 1985 | 20 | 9 | 22 | 3 | - | - | 17 |
| 1986 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 14 | - | 5 |
| 1987 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 2 |
| 1988 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 22 | - | 5 |
| 1989 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | - | 3 |
| 1990 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 25 | - | - |
| 1991 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 1992 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 1993 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 12 | - | - | - |
| 1994 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 5 |
| 1995 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 23 | 2 |
| Total | Slalom | Giant slalom | Downhill | Super-G | Combined | Parallel | |
| Wins | 55 | 34 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Podiums | 101 | 47 | 46 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Season | |||
| Date | Location | Discipline | |
| 1985 2 victories (2 GS) | December 17, 1984 | Santa Caterina, Italy | Giant slalom |
| March 17, 1985 | Waterville Valley, USA | Giant slalom | |
| 1986 3 victories (3 GS) | January 6, 1986 | Maribor, Yugoslavia | Giant slalom |
| January 19, 1986 | Oberstaufen, Germany | Giant slalom | |
| March 20, 1986 | Waterville Valley, USA | Giant slalom | |
| 1987 6 victories (2 SL, 4 GS) | December 6, 1986 | Giant slalom | |
| December 17, 1986 | Courmayeur, Italy | Slalom | |
| January 5, 1987 | Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria | Giant slalom | |
| February 13, 1987 | Megève, France | Giant slalom | |
| February 14, 1987 | Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France | Slalom | |
| March 22, 1987 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | Giant slalom | |
| 1988 2 victories (1 SL, 1 GS) | January 5, 1988 | Tignes, France | Giant slalom |
| January 24, 1988 | Bad Gastein, Austria | Slalom | |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | November 28, 1988 | Les Menuires, France | Giant slalom |
| December 16, 1988 | Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria | Slalom | |
| Combined | |||
| December 18, 1988 | Val Zoldana, Italy | Giant slalom | |
| December 20, 1988 | Courmayeur, Italy | Slalom | |
| January 3, 1989 | Maribor, Yugoslavia | Slalom | |
| January 6, 1989 | Schwarzenberg, Austria | Giant slalom | |
| January 7, 1989 | Giant slalom | ||
| January 8, 1989 | Mellau, Austria | Slalom | |
| January 15, 1989 | Grindelwald, Switzerland | Slalom | |
| January 21, 1989 | Tignes, France | Giant slalom | |
| March 3, 1989 | Furano, Japan | Slalom | |
| March 8, 1989 | Shigakogen, Japan | Giant slalom | |
| March 10, 1989 | Slalom | ||
| 1990 5 victories (5 SL) | November 25, 1989 | Park City, USA | Slalom |
| January 6, 1990 | Piancavallo, Italy | Slalom | |
| January 9, 1990 | Hinterstoder, Austria | Slalom | |
| January 21, 1990 | Maribor, Yugoslavia | Slalom | |
| March 18, 1990 | Åre, Sweden | Slalom | |
| 1991 3 victories (1 SL, 2 GS) | January 11, 1991 | Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia | Giant slalom |
| March 11, 1991 | Lake Louise, Canada | Slalom | |
| March 17, 1991 | Vail, USA | Giant slalom | |
| 1992 5 victories (3 SL, 2 GS) | November 30, 1991 | Lech, Austria | Slalom |
| December 8, 1991 | Santa Caterina, Italy | Giant slalom | |
| January 5, 1992 | Oberstaufen, Germany | Giant slalom | |
| January 18, 1992 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| February 29, 1992 | Narvik, Norway | Slalom | |
| 1993 4 victories (4 SL) | January 6, 1993 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom |
| January 17, 1993 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Slalom | |
| March 19, 1993 | Vemdalen, Sweden | Slalom | |
| March 28, 1993 | Åre, Sweden | Slalom | |
| 1994 7 victories (7 SL) | November 28, 1993 | Santa Caterina, Italy | Slalom |
| December 19, 1993 | St. Anton, Austria | Slalom | |
| January 9, 1994 | Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria | Slalom | |
| January 23, 1994 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| February 5, 1994 | Sierra Nevada, Spain | Slalom | |
| March 10, 1994 | Mammoth Mountain, USA | Slalom | |
| March 20, 1994 | Vail, USA | Slalom | |
| 1995 4 victories (4 SL) | November 27, 1994 | Park City, USA | Slalom |
| December 18, 1994 | Sestriere, Italy | Slalom | |
| February 26, 1995 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom | |
| March 19, 1995 | Bormio, Italy | Slalom |
3.2. Olympic Games achievements
Schneider competed in three Winter Olympics, earning a total of five medals, including three gold medals. At the 1988 Calgary Olympics, she achieved a double gold, winning both the slalom and giant slalom events. She was also the flag bearer for Switzerland at the 1992 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. She also participated in the 1992 Albertville Olympics, finishing seventh in slalom but not completing the giant slalom. Her final Olympic appearance was at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, where she won her third Olympic gold medal in slalom, a silver medal in combined, and a bronze medal in giant slalom.
| Year | |||||||
| Age | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team Event | |
| 1988 | 23 | 1 | 1 | - | - | DNF2 | - |
| 1992 | 27 | 7 | DNF1 | - | - | - | - |
| 1994 | 29 | 1 | 3 | - | 33 | 2 | - |
3.3. World Championship achievements
Schneider earned a total of six medals at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, including three gold medals. She won her first World Championship gold in 1987 in Crans Montana in the giant slalom. At the 1989 World Championships in Vail, she secured another gold in giant slalom, along with silver medals in both slalom and combined. In 1991 in Saalbach, she added a gold medal in slalom and a bronze in combined.
| Year | |||||||
| Age | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team Event | |
| 1985 | 20 | - | 12 | - | - | - | - |
| 1987 | 22 | - | 1 | 4 | - | 4 | - |
| 1989 | 24 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 2 | - |
| 1991 | 26 | 1 | 7 | - | - | 3 | - |
4. Post-career activities
Following her retirement from professional skiing, Vreni Schneider has engaged in various business and educational ventures, and even explored a music career.
4.1. Business and educational activities
After concluding her racing career in 1995, Schneider established and now operates a ski and snowboard school in her home village of Elm. In addition to the school, she also runs a sports equipment shop in Elm and the surrounding Glarus area.
4.2. Music career
In a notable shift from her athletic pursuits, Schneider ventured into the music industry. In 2012, she released a folk music album.
5. Personal life
Vreni Schneider married in 1999 and has two sons.
6. Legacy and recognition
Vreni Schneider is widely recognized as the most successful alpine ski racer from Switzerland and one of the top female skiers in the sport's history. Her remarkable achievements, including her numerous World Cup titles, Olympic gold medals, and World Championship victories, solidified her status as an icon in alpine skiing. Her impact was formally acknowledged when she was voted "Swiss Sportswoman of the Century." Her influence even extended to popular culture, as she is praised in the Half Man Half Biscuit song 'Uffington Wassail' with the lyrics: "Vreni Schneider - you're my downhill lady! Vreni Schneider - you're the queen of the slopes!" The song appears on their 2000 album Trouble Over Bridgwater.