Leonhard Stock
Portrait of an Olympian winner
Hardly any other racer can look back on such a moving career as the downhill specialist. After several serious injuries and partial years of unsuccessful success, the 1980 Olympics was never let down and always appeared in the World Cup Circus. The unmistakable hallmarks of the athlete are his stubbornness and his calmness, which can not be shaken by anything.
The native Zillertaler is the son of a farmer and has four siblings. After graduating from the vocational school, the racer completed an apprenticeship as an industrial salesman. In 1997, Leonhard took over the parental home and built a 4-star hotel where he has since been a hotelier of the "Olympia-Relax-Hotel". In addition he owns the sport & fashion shop in Finkenberg together with his brother Hans.
Sporty career
At the age of six years, Leonhard Stock drove his first children's races, and his first success at the regional level was recorded as a twelve-year-old. In the winter of 1976/77, the 18-year-old drove for the first time to the points at World Cup races. His third season ended in 1979 with 163 points as second in the overall World Cup.
The sporting highlight
The absolute highlight of his career was the completely unexpected Olympics victory 1980 in Lake Placid. Two months before his coup, he had been badly overthrown in the training in Val d`lsere and had a complicated shoulder injury. Shortly after his release from the hospital, the "ski enthusiast" took up the training again with a plaster corset around the upper body and also started in the World Cup.
Finally, he was allowed as a substitute with Lake Placid, where he was nominated after several best times in the training for the Olympic downhill. There he made the "impossible" and was more than half a second ahead of his countryman Peter Wirnsberger Olympiasieger.