Sad news hit Czech sport. Former Czechoslovak alpine skiing representative Kurt Hennrich died at the age of 88. At the 1956 Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, he finished seventh in the downhill, which is still the best male result in this discipline. Pavel Hennrich’s grandson informed ČTK about his death today.
Czech ski legend Kurt Hennrich in the archive picture.
At that time, downhill skiers in Italy were fighting for medals in extreme conditions, the fastest being the famous Austrian Toni Sailer.
“It was fifteen below zero, forty-five people didn’t finish. I rode the last of the Czechoslovaks, I was finishing an Englishman who started in front of me. But somehow my right ski rubbed, so I finished the rest of the race on one ski. my edge snapped, “Hennrich told Czech Radio years ago.
In 1956, Hennrich also became the academic downhill world champion. After finishing his active career, he was a national team coach.
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