Eberhard Kneisl

Although one of the top Austrian skiers in 1936, Eberhard Kneisl could not participate in the Olympics, as he was considered a professional due to his work as a ski instructor. He did compete in that year’s World Championships, taking a silver (slalom) and a bronze medal (combined), while also winning the Austrian championships in the combined.

In the following years, he regularly achieved top positions in major events, while also functioning as a coach for the national teams of Italy, Hungary and Sweden. Member of the mountain infantry, he served in the German army during the War, although mostly as an instructor after a stomach operation. He returned to skiing after the war, and participated in the 1948 Olympics. He ended his career in 1951, while he continued to work as a ski instructor and mountain guide.