Ski legend Franz Klammer of Austria, then age 22, won his Olympic gold medal at Patscherkofel, dramatically edging out defending Olympic champion Bernhard Russi of Switzerland by 0.33 seconds in the 1976 Downhill. The course had a vertical drop of and started at , well below the mountain's summit. Behind at the last timing interval, Klammer finished at 1:45.73, an average speed of and vertical descent rate of .