Downhill, Women

The top downhill skier since Sapporo had been Austrian Annemarie Pröll, but she retired prior to the 1975-76 season. In her absence no favorite existed for this event. German Rosi Mittermaier was the ninth skier to start. A long-time World Cup competitor, on the circuit since 1967, she had won seven World Cup races, although never a downhill, but she posted the fastest time on her run to take the lead. Waiting out the remainder of the seeds, nobody bettered her mark and Mittermaier had won a surprise gold medal. A few days later she would win the slalom gold medal and, with a chance to match the triple Alpine golds of Toni Sailer and Jean-Claude Killy, she came close, winning a silver medal in the giant slalom. The silver medalist, Austrian Brigitte Totschnig, would win the downhill World Cup in 1976 and 1977.