Felix Gottwald

With seven Olympic medals and three gold medals through 2010, Felix Gottwald is the most decorated Nordic combined Olympian of all-time. His gold medals came in the team event in 2006 and 2010 and the sprint in 2006. He added a silver in the 2006 individual race, and won bronze medals in all three events in 2002. His success was not limited to the Olympics as Gottwald won 11 medals, and three golds, at the World Championships. His World gold medals were all won in team events, with a team gold in 2003 and team golds on both the normal and large hills in 2011. He also won at Holmenkollen in 2001 and 2003 and in 2003 was awarded the Holmenkollen medal, shared with Ronny Ackermann.

Gottwald was first noticed internationally at the 1995 World Junior Championships, when he won a gold medal in the team event. In all he won five medals at the World Juniors in 1995 and 1997, with one silver and three bronzes. Gottwald actually retired at the end of the 2006-07 World Cup season, but came back in 2009 with a desire to compete again at the Olympics. Through 2011 Gottwald has won 23 World Cup Nordic combined events. He won the overall seasonal World Cup in 2000-01 and the sprint World Cup in 2000-01, and had three second places and three third places in the overall seasonal World Cup.

Gottwald won multiple honors in his home nation and region for his skiing exploits. In 2001 he was given the Golden Award for Meritorious Service to the Austrian Republic, while in 2006 this was upgraded for his further service. In 2006 he was given the key to the Federal State of Salzburg. He is an honorary ambassador for the Jane Goodall Institute in Austria. In 2004 the ski jump stadium in the village of Utterhofen in the state of Salzburg was renamed the Felix Gottwald Ski Jumping Stadium.