At the 1980 Winter Olympics the Austrians looked to win the men’s downhill, the blue ribbon event of Alpine skiing. They had no clear favorite but had seven of the top 20 ranked men’s skiers and were considered strong, so strong in fact that Leonhard Stock was only named as an alternate to the downhill team. But his training performances in Lake Placid were stronger than the other Austrians and he was named to start in the downhill. Good choice, as Stock won the downhill gold medal in an upset. This was the first of his three Olympic appearances, also competing in 1988 and 1992, but would remain his only Olympic medal.
Stock competed at five World Championships (1978, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1991), but his best finishes there were fourth in the Super-G in 1987 and fourth in the 1991 downhill. Stock won three World Cup downhill races, all later in his career, with victories at Laax (SUI) in January 1989, Val d’Isere (FRA) in December 1990, and Val Gardena (ITA) in December 1992. He was second in the 1978-79 overall World Cup standings but never made a podium in a seasonal event World Cup. He had 25 podiums in World Cup races, with 12 in downhill, 6 in Super-G, and 7 in combined.
Stock competed through the 1993 season before retiring. He and his brother started a sports and fashion shop in Finkenberg, and also developed their parents’ old home into a 4-star hotel.
Austria