Josef Walcher

For the Jesuit mathematician and engineer, see Joseph Walcher.

Josef "Sepp" Walcher (December 8, 1954 – January 22, 1984) was an Austrian World Cup alpine ski racer. He specialized in the downhill event and won the gold medal at the World Championships in 1978 at Garmisch, West Germany.^[1][2]

Josef "Sepp" Walcher

Walcher in December 1977
Personal information
Born	(1954-12-08)8 December 1954 Schladming, Styria, Austria
Died	22 January 1984(1984-01-22) (aged 29) Schladming, Styria, Austria
Occupation	Alpine skier
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Skiing career
Disciplines	Downhill
World Cup debut	December 1972 (age 18)
Retired	March 1982 (age 27)
Olympics
Teams	2 – (1976, 1980)
Medals	0
World Championships
Teams	3 – (1976, 1978, 1980)
Medals	1 (1 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	10 – (1973–1982)
Wins	5 – (5 DH)
Podiums	13 – (13 DH)
Overall titles	0 – (7th in 1978)
Discipline titles	0 – (2nd DH: 1977, 1978)
Medal record Men's alpine skiing Representing  Austria World Cup race podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Downhill 5 4 4 World Championships 1978 Garmisch Downhill

Biography

Sepp Walcher in action in 1978 Wengen downhill.

Walcher memorial
in Schladming

Born in Schladming, Styria, Walcher made his World Cup debut in December 1972, two days after his 18th birthday. Two months later, he scored his first World Cup points (and podium) with a runner-up finish at St. Moritz, Switzerland. Walcher's first World Cup victory came in January 1977 at Morzine, France, his seventh podium.^[3][4] His best two seasons were 1977 and 1978, finishing runner-up to compatriot Franz Klammer in the downhill standings both years. A week prior to his win at the world championships in 1978, Walcher won consecutive downhills at Kitzbühel, Austria.^[5][6]

Walcher retired after the 1982 season with five World Cup victories and thirteen podium finishes. In 1984, he was killed at age 29 in a skiing accident at a benefit race in his hometown of Schladming. The race was a 8 km downhill where the skiers started only 30 seconds apart from each other. Walcher died after breaking his neck in a fall and hitting his head on a course marker. ^[7]

World Cup results

Season standings

Season	Age	Overall	Slalom	Giant  Slalom	Super G	Downhill	Combined
1973	18	28	—	—	not run	11	not awarded
1974	19	29	—	—		11
1975	20	23	—	—		12
1976	21	30	—	—		13	—
1977	22	8	—	—		2	not awarded
1978	23	7	—	—		2
1979	24	39	—	—		13
1980	25	22	—	—		7	—
1981	26	41	—	—		14	—
1982	27	50	—	—		18	—

Race podiums

• 5 wins – (5 DH)
• 13 podiums – (13 DH)

Season	Date	Location	Discipline	Place
1973	11 Feb 1973	St. Moritz, Switzerland	Downhill	2nd
1974	18 Dec 1973	Zell am See, Austria	Downhill	3rd
1975	5 Jan 1975	Garmisch, West Germany	Downhill	3rd
1976	25 Jan 1976	Kitzbühel, Austria	Downhill	3rd
1977	18 Dec 1976	Val Gardena, Italy	Downhill	2nd
	30 Jan 1977	Morzine, France	Downhill	2nd
	31 Jan 1977		Downhill	1st
	12 Mar 1977	Heavenly Valley, USA	Downhill	1st
1978	11 Dec 1977	Val d'Isère, France	Downhill	3rd
	20 Jan 1978	Kitzbühel, Austria	Downhill	1st
	21 Jan 1978		Downhill[8]	1st
1979	16 Dec 1978	Val Gardena, Italy	Downhill	1st
1980	18 Jan 1980	Wengen, Switzerland	Downhill	2nd

World championship results

Year	Age	Slalom	Giant  Slalom	Super-G	Downhill	Combined
1976	21	—	—	not run	9	—
1978	23	—	27		1	—
1980	25	—	—		— ^	—

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.

Olympic results

Year	Age	Slalom	Giant  Slalom	Super-G	Downhill	Combined
1976	21	—	—	not run	9	not run
1980	25	—	—		— ^

^ Walcher made the downhill team in 1980 but was dropped the day before the race, replaced by alternate Leonhard Stock, who won the gold medal.^[9][10][11]