Wenzel, Hanni

Hanni Wenzel, (born Dec. 14, 1956, Staubirnen, W.Ger.), Liechtenstein Alpine skier who was the first athlete from her country to win an Olympic medal, earning a bronze at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. She went on to win two gold medals and a silver at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, U.S., matching Rosi Mittermaier’s record for the most successful Olympic Alpine skiing perfomance by a woman.

Born in West Germany, Wenzel moved to the small country of Liechtenstein when she was one year old. She made her first mark in Alpine skiing in 1974 when she won the world slalom championship. Slalom was her strongest event throughout her career, and it was in that event that she earned her bronze medal at the 1976 Games. Her greatest year as a skier came in 1980. At the Olympics that year she dominated the slalom competition, posting the fastest times for both runs and earning the gold medal. She added a gold medal in the giant slalom and an unexpected silver in the downhill (usually her weakest event). She followed her Olympic success by capturing the overall World Cup title that year. Wenzel’s 1980 success was made more special for her and her country by her brother Andreas’s silver medal in the men’s giant slalom and his own capture of the men’s overall World Cup title.

Because of a commercial contract, Wenzel was considered ineligible for the 1984 Olympics. After the 1984 season she announced her retirement. By the end of Wenzel’s 13-year career, she had won 32 World Cup events and 2 overall World Cup titles (1978 and 1980).