The Allgäu native won a sensational gold in Squaw Valley in 1960. In recent years she has suffered from health problems. Her wish for her 80th birthday was no longer fulfilled.
German skiing mourns the loss of Heidi Biebl. The 1960 downhill Olympic champion died last Thursday at the age of 80 after a short illness at the Immenstadt Clinic. The Ski Club Oberstaufen confirmed this when asked by SID.
Her name will forever be associated with February 20, 1960. Three days after her 19th birthday, Biebl rode out of nowhere to Olympic downhill gold in Squaw Valley. Suddenly she was a star – and didn’t know what happened to her. The anthem at the awards ceremony? “I didn’t know her at all,” Biebl told SID on her 80th birthday and laughed.
Biebl grew up in modest circumstances in the tranquil town of Oberstaufen in the Allgäu. “I had to fight hard for a lot,” she said. Also the ski career. Biebl turned down the advice to graduate from high school – and relied fully on the sport. Literally spot on.
Heidi Biebl during the recording of the ARD TV show “Immer wieder Sundays” in 2011. In recent years she has rarely been seen in public. (Source: Mavericks/imago images)
She didn’t get much out of her victory. “I was just too inexperienced and couldn’t market the medal,” she said regretfully. Biebl was offered a watch by her ski company: “But I already had one.” She got paid for her driver’s license instead.
Biebl on the end of her career: “I was too undiplomatic”
The Federal Republic honored Biebl with the silver laurel leaf, the German Ski Association (DSV) gave it the badge of honour. After two fourth places at the 1964 Olympics, she ended her career in 1966 because of differences of opinion with the DSV: “I was too undiplomatic.”
For her 75th, her home town dedicated the Heidi-Biebl-Weg to her. In the recent past, her health was worse after vein surgery, but she didn’t want to complain. For the 80th, she wished “nice, good days for as long as possible” with her husband Bora, who is now mourning his Heidi.