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Born in Lustenau, Austria, on July 18th, 1963, Marc Girardelli initially competed under the Austrian flag until 1976, then he switched to racing for Luxembourg due to disagreements about coaching with the Austrian Federation. He’s widely regarded as one of the best alpine skiers ever. He is a joint-record five-time winner of the overall World Cup (1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993) and a four-time World Champion (slalom 1991, combined 1987, 1989, 1996). Girardelli made his World Cup debut in 1980 in a GS race at Waterville Valley and claimed his maiden podium in 1981 by finishing 2nd in Slalom at Wengen. His World Cup tally includes 46 wins , 4th most of all-time among men, plus 9 discipline titles. Girardelli is the only skier to have won at least 3 World Cup races in each of the five disciplines, in addition to his five overall World Cups, Girardelli also won crystal globes for each of the five events - the first man to achieve this. Among men, only Norway’s Kjetil André Aamodt has won more World Championship medals than Girardelli's 11. The Austrian-born is among the best alpine skier ever not to become Olympic champion. Because Girardelli retained Austrian citizenship while skiing for Luxembourg, he was ineligible to compete in the 1980 or 1984 Winter Olympics. He received Luxembourg citizenship in time to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary but failed to win a medal. At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, however, he won silver medals in SuperG and in giant slalom. His medals were Luxembourg's first Olympic medals in 40 years. They were also the country's first at the Winter Olympics. Girardelli retired following a knee injury after his last World title in 1996, aged 33. He then became an entrepeneur, being involved in a hotel, an indoor ski slope, a clothing line, and working as an advisor to skiing federations
