Olympic Person of the Month June 2023
Rosi Mittermaier-Neureuther, also known as Gold-Rosi, was a German skier born in Munich on 5 August 1950. In her athletic career she achieved great success in the Alpine Ski World Cup and at the Winter Olympics. She won two gold medals in the slalom and downhill disciplines as well as a silver medal in the giant slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. However, the same year, she decided to retire from skiing. Although she retired from the sport, Mittermaier remained a well-known personality as an advertiser, sports ambassador and author. Due to her great popularity and her accomplishments, she was admitted to the German Hall of Fame in 2006.
Rosi Mittermaier came a long way from a family with strong ties to the sport of skiing. Her father, a licensed ski instructor, took a decisive role in shaping her and her sisters’ athletic careers. Unfortunately, her twin sister died at birth, though her older sister Heidi and her younger sister Evi were exceptional skiers too and participated in national and international competitions, including the Olympic Games and World Championships. In 1980, she got married to the German ski racer Christian Neureuther and had two children with him, Ameli and Felix. Felix followed in his parents’ footsteps and became a skier, while Ameli pursued a career as a fashion designer.
Other than skiing, Mittermaier-Neureuther had a wide range of interests. She completed an apprenticeship as a hotel manageress, however she never pursued this career path. She also explored other sports, such as skydiving, scuba diving, surfing and Nordic walking. Her passion for sports extended beyond her own discipline and was a reflection of her adventurous spirit and active lifestyle.
Unfortunately, Mittermaier-Neureuther passed away in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on 4 January 2023 due to severe illness, but her legacy as a German skiing pioneer and her lasting influence as Gold-Rosi will be remembered forever in the world of skiing and beyond.
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