Felix Gottwald

Felix Gottwald (born 13 January 1976 in Zell am See, Austria, now resides in Salzburg, Austria) is an Austrian Nordic combined athlete who competed from 1994 to 2007 and then returned to compete in 2009. He is 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), weighing 150 lb (10 st 10 lb; 68 kg).

Felix Gottwald

Gottwald at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Medal record
Men's nordic combined
Representing  Austria
Olympic Games
2006 Turin 7.5 km sprint
2006 Turin 4 x 5 km team
2010 Vancouver 4 x 5 km team
2006 Turin 15 km individual
2002 Salt Lake City 7.5 km sprint
2002 Salt Lake City 15 km individual
2002 Salt Lake City 4 x 5 km team
World Championships
2003 Val di Fiemme 4 x 5 km team
2011 Oslo 4 x 5 km team normal hill
2011 Oslo 4 x 5 km team large hill
2001 Lahti 4 x 5 km team
2003 Val di Fiemme 15 km individual
1997 Trondheim 4 x 5 km team
2001 Lahti 15 km individual
2003 Val di Fiemme 7.5 km sprint
2005 Oberstdorf 15 km individual
2005 Oberstdorf 4 x 5 km team
2011 Oslo 10 km individual

Gottwald made his Olympic debut as an 18-year-old in the 15 km individual event at the 1994 Winter Olympics, then competed in the 4 x 5 km team and 15 km individual events at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Gottwald won bronze medals in the 7.5 km sprint, 15 km individual and 4 x 5 km team Nordic combined events at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Coming into the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, he had regularly ranked among the top three in the world. He won golds in the 7.5 km sprint and 4 x 5 km team competitions, and took silver in the 15 km individual. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Gottwald won gold in the 4 x 5 km team event. He is the most decorated Nordic combined skier at the Winter Olympics with seven medals.

Gottwald topped the World Cup standings in 2001, and was a member of the Austrian team that won gold at the 2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Eight years later, at the 2011 World Championships in Oslo, he was again part of the Austrian team that became team world champion both in the normal hill and in the large hill competition. He also has two silvers (4 x 5 km team: 2001, 15 km individual: 2003) and six bronzes (15 km individual: 2001, 2005, 7.5 km sprint: 2003, normal hill: 2011, 4 x 5 km team: 1997, 2005) from the World Championships. So he is also the most decorated Nordic combined skier at World Championships with eleven medals.

Gottwald also has won twice at the Holmenkollen ski festival in the Nordic combined (2001, 2003 individual). He also won the Holmenkollen medal in 2003 (shared with Ronny Ackermann).

Gottwald retired at the end of the 2006-07 World Cup.[1] He chose to return from retirement in May 2009, in order to compete in another season, including the Olympics. Prior to that he was working for an Austrian television network as a color commentator.[2]

After the Olympic season he added another one, and with his victories in Kuusamo (27 November 2010) and Schonach (8 January 2011) he became the oldest winner of a nordic combined competition.

See also

Notes and references
  1. FIS Newsflash 122. April 11, 2007.
  2. http://www.ctvolympics.ca/nordic-combined/news/newsid=10790.html#felix+gottwald+make+comeback
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