PORTRAITS: HANNI AND ANDREAS WENZEL
Wedged between Austria and Switzerland, the Principality of Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in Europe. It is also one of its most attractive, offering beautiful landscapes and ancient traditions. By following the Walser legends trail you can explore the Rhine Valley and discover legends of witches, spirits, dragons and wolves. In its capital Vaduz you will be fascinated by the 14th-century castle, a symbol of the nation and residence of the royal family, as well as cultural institutions such as the Postage Stamp Museum and the Kunstmuseum. Among Liechtenstein’s luminaries are siblings Hanni and Andreas Wenzel, skiers and stars of today’s chapter of Portraits.
The Wenzel family has German origins (Hanni was born in Straubing, Bavaria) but became citizens of Liechtenstein after the entire clan moved there and achieved sporting success. Hanni is the older sister, born on December 14, 1956, while Andreas was born two years later, on March 18, in Planken. Over the years, many members of the family have competitively skied, but only Hanni and Andreas have gained recognition through their international achievements. Hanni Wenzel achieved success at a very young age. In 1976 at the Innsbruck Games she won bronze in the slalom – the first Olympic medal in the history of Liechtenstein’s history.
In 1980, at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, she competed in all women’s categories, with a stunning result in each one. She won silver in the downhill, while in the giant slalom she recorded the best time in the first run and the third best time in the second, winning gold by 46 hundredths of a second. Two days later, she dominated the slalom, achieving the best time in both runs. These successes put her on a par with Germany’s Rosi Mittermeier, the star of the scene at the time.
The highlight of her career was the World Cup, also in 1980 – a victory she shared with her brother Andreas. However, this result was a prelude to her retirement. In 1984, a business obligation prevented her from competing in the Sarajevo Olympics, which was won by the Mahre brothers). At the end of the season, she said goodbye to skiing after a thirteen-year career, 32 World Cup appearances and two overall World Cup titles.
Andreas Wenzel, her younger brother and also a skier, was often overshadowed by Hanni’s triumphs. However he managed to shine in his own right, excelling in combined events, which he won at the 1978 World Championships. Nineteen eighty was also a magical year for Andreas, as he took home the gold medal in the overall World Cup alongside his sister. For the first time, everyone was talking about Liechtenstein, a historic outsider in the sporting world. Having honed his skill in the giant slalom over the years, Andreas also achieved success in the combined events in 1984 and 1985. He retired after the Calgary Olympics in 1988 and was elected president of the Liechtenstein Skiing Federation in 2007.
The achievements of the Wenzel siblings played an important hand in the launch of SNOW TIME, the debut ski line by FILA. In particular, SNOW TIME’s first-ever ski suit was designed for Andreas. A fusion of functionality and style, it stood out for its ease of movement on the slopes. Its bright green colour and thin vertical and horizontal lines inspired other successful designs, most notably the Terrinda track suit.
“Turning Liechtenstein into the smallest nation capable of producing an Olympic champion was my greatest victory.” Hanni Wenzel
