Talk:Karl Schranz

Some notes

Dear Sir, I would like to try to give some notes: In the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, Mr. Schranz and Andreas Molterer weren't nominated for the Special Slalom (the last race, carried out on February 20th) by Austria Team Officials, but Ernst Hinterseer was nominated, and he of all people (who was only a substitute racer and to not bargain for a win) was winner of the race. - Another note: Mr. Schranz was eleven-time Austrian Champion (1958-1968).

Before definitive disqualification in the Slalom in Chamrousse (1968 Olympic Winter Games), the British member of the jury (Mr. Readhorn) did suggest to award as well Jean-Claude Killy as Schranz with a gold-medal but the regulations didn't allow. Ultimately, decision-making process of the jury was three to two for the disqualification. All the quarrels did cast a cloud over winning the silver-medal and bronze-medal by other Austrian racers (Herbert Huber and Alfred Matt). - I would like to say that Mr. Killy wasn't responsible for all that inadequacy, his medals were self-earned and he was and is a great sports-man; he did (for the moment) accept to have loosed; I dont't blame him if he was amazed by winning the "triple". Media representatives did comment that the serious mistake was to start the run though the miserable visibility. Such an important race which had to decide an Olympic Champion should have carried out to level the playing-field.

1972 Olympic Winter Games: Mr. Avery Brundage, the president of the IOC, was not one for Alpine Ski Racing because he did know about "conglomeration" between "professionals" and "amateurs". I would like to interpose that Mr. Schranz was employed at factory of Mr. Franz Kneissl (producing skis) and did use those skis by himself. Howsoever, in Mr. Brundage's opinion, Mr. Schranz was just the tip of the iceberg. Leaked with a photo showing Mr. Schranz as a football player by wearing a dress with the name of a coffee producer, Mr. Brundage had a "corpus delicti" to be able to bann Mr. Schranz. That bann did entail a chorus of outrage in Austria; there were voices claiming a boycott of the Games. In a statement to the press, Mr. Schranz didn't want a boycott. The matter did escalate in his home country - and in the opinion of many people there the other competitors were "traitors" (people did wish that all male and female competitors should come home - to declare solidarity with Mr. Schranz). When Mr. Schranz did arrive in Vienna (February 8th, 1972), he had an exuberant welcome. Approximately, 87,000 individuals did come. Primarily responsible was Austrian TV which did set them in motion. Mr. Schranz was received by Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky in the government building at the Ballhausplatz. In later statements, Mr. Schranz said, that he wasn't prepared (he didn't know anything about such a big outrage, he did have a strange feeling). In retrospect (after more than 40 years), I would like to comment that such a crowd of people to cheer Mr. Schranz as a hero (maybe a "martyr" - Mr. Brundage became public enemy number one) does sound vague - there was connected the dots with receiving of Adolf Hitler in the year 1938. Maybe, exaggerated, but it was to see how people could loose realistic attitude by factitious reportings.

After the Games: Maybe, that that remarkable welcome was conducive to increase Mr. Schranz' popularity - journalists said and wrote that the bann did grow Mr. Schranz in popularity - more than if he had won a gold-medal (and it wasn't sure if he had been enabled to do because favourites often aren't able to belie expectations; snow conditions in Sapporo were very different to those in Europe). - Mr. Schranz did quit his sports-career a few days after the games. I don't know his planning. For the time being, Mr. Marc Hodler, the president of the International Ski Federation, did hold out the prospect of separated Alpine Skiing World Championships (to be carried out a few weeks later) but he did withdraw. Therefore, Mr. Schranz did take appropriate steps.

Late reconciliation: In the year 1988, Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, another president of the IOC, came to Vienna. He awarded Mr. Schranz with an Olympic Medal of Honor. In a statement (given in Austrian TV), Mr. Schranz did remark that he had preferred to win the gold medal on the hill of Chamrousse or Eniwa but now - being aged nearly fifty years - "he did consider the matter as finished. On balance, the matter of his being banned did change the mind of the Officials of the IOC in order to change the condition of admission for the athletes". 213.225.11.90 (talk) 12:52, 31 December 2016 (UTC)

Sometimes, Schranz was called as the "Lonsome Wolf from the Arlberg" ("Einsamer Wolf vom Arlberg"), maybe for doing different to other team-mates, by doing his way. He was no one who is referred to as a "teamplayer" (at that time when Mr. Schranz did skiing, the term "teamplayer" probely was unknown in the countries with German language). Maybe, he - over the years - became the oldest skier in the Austrian Team, therefore his relationships to the younger team-mates did narrow down to most necessary. It is to add that he always wanted to be the best one in the Austrian team. He did appear sorrowful when he was second (or third) behind a team-mate because now the better ranked team-mate did take centre stage.213.225.0.117 (talk) 11:25, 2 January 2017 (UTC)

FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships 2001 at St. Anton am Arlberg

Mr. Schranz was a very important promoter for the FIS did award the Alpine Skiing World Championships 2001 to his home commune St. Anton am Arlberg. 213.225.8.19 (talk) 19:28, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

A good friend of Mr. Putin

Mr. Schranz has a good friendship to Vladimir Putin; Mr. Putin did visit the World Championships 2001. 213.225.8.19 (talk) 19:33, 4 January 2017 (UTC)