Hermann Maier (AUT)

DOB:  12/07/1972  Hometown:  Flachau

Hermann Maier has established himself as simply the most dominate ski racer in the past few years. He has picked up the flame left by the great Alberto Tomba of Italy. Maier won a total of four gold medals at the Nagano Olympics and FIS World Championships and picked up the Overall World Cup title in '98. This is no surprise for those who know him. Maier is a fighter both on the ski slopes and in life. He raged through an amazing '97-'98 season like a wild bull, with 10 wins in four different events and seven more top-three finishes.

His eight victories during the '98-'99 winter were not enough for another Overall World Cup, but he reached his main goal in Vail in winning the World Championship downhill after an incredible run down the "Birds of Prey" course. Even his famous countryman, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was impressed by his determination.

This "tough guy" approach by Maier comes from a hard teenage life before breaking through on the highest international level of racing. A promising junior, he had to give up intensive ski racing in the Austrian program because he was not physically strong enough.

Maier decided to help his parents run two ski schools in the resort of Flachau, a one-hour drive south from Salzburg, where he was a ski instructor. In the summer, he worked as a bricklayer, where he became stronger as he toiled 12 to 14 hours a day.

In '95 Maier was banned for a year by his Federation for skiing in a pro race at Schladming. Later on, he took a chance in the Austrian national championships. Despite a high start-number (141) he was able to finish 18th in giant slalom. Yet even that achievement did not open the eyes of the Austrian ski team leaders. Maier finally qualified for Europa Cup events in January, '96, after clocking excellent times as a forerunner in a World Cup giant slalom held on his home turf at Flachau. He won it and went to the World Cup finals in Lillehammer in March, where he finished 11th in the super G.

Maier's dedication and talent propelled him rapidly to the top. He scored his first top-10 finish November, '96 in the giant slalom at Park City. Later that season at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, he fulfilled his dream of winning a World Cup event — the super G. The next year, Maier became the first Austrian to win the Overall World Cup since Karl Schranz's victory in '70. Nicknamed "The Herminator" for his aggressive attitude on course, Maier has handled the pressure and stardom very well. He aims to compete until the Olympics at Salt Lake City in 2002. Maier is aiming at a second Overall World Cup title and more gold medals at the St. Anton World Championships in 2001.

— Patrick Lang, MountainZone.com World Cup Correspondent