Alpine skiing World Cup

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The alpine skiing World Cup is a circuit of alpine skiing competitions regulated by the International Ski Federation (FIS). Races are held primarily at ski resorts in the Alps in Europe, with regular stops in Scandinavia, North America, and east Asia. The first season for the World Cup was 1967. Jean-Claude Killy of France and Nancy Greene of Canada were the overall winners for the first two seasons.

Competitors attempt to achieve the best time in four disciplines: slalom, giant slalom, Super G, and downhill. The fifth event, the combined, employs the downhill and slalom. The World Cup originally included only slalom, giant slalom, and downhill races. Combined events (calculated using results from selected downhill and slalom races) were included starting with the 1974–75 season, while the Super G was added for the 1982–83 season. The current scoring system was implemented in the 1991–92 season. For every race points are awarded to the top 30 finishers: 100 points to the winner, 80 for second, 60 for third, winding down to 1 point for 30th place. The racer with the most points at the end of the season in mid-March wins the Cup, with the trophy consisting of a 9 kilogram crystal globe.[1] Sub-prizes are also awarded in each individual race discipline, with a smaller 3.5 kg crystal globe. (See the section on scoring system below for more information.)

The World Cup is held annually, and is considered the premier competition for alpine ski racing after the tetrannual Winter Olympics. Many consider the World Cup to be a more valuable title than the Olympics or the biannual World Championships, since it requires a competitor to ski at an extremely high level in several disciplines throughout the season (and not just in one race).

Lower competitive circuits include the NorAm Cup in North America and the Europa Cup in Europe.


Contents

[edit] Overall winners

Multiple overall World Cup wins are marked with (#). For a complete list of winners in each discipline,
see Alpine Skiing World Cup Men and Alpine Skiing World Cup Women.

Year Men's Overall Champion Women's Overall Champion
Name Country Name Country
1967 Jean-Claude Killy Flag of France France Nancy Greene Flag of Canada Canada
1968 Jean-Claude Killy (2) Flag of France France Nancy Greene (2) Flag of Canada Canada
1969 Karl Schranz Flag of Austria Austria Gertrud Gabl Flag of Austria Austria
1970 Karl Schranz (2) Flag of Austria Austria Michèle Jacot Flag of France France
1971 Gustav Thöni Flag of Italy Italy Annemarie Pröll Flag of Austria Austria
1972 Gustav Thöni (2) Flag of Italy Italy Annemarie Pröll (2) Flag of Austria Austria
1973 Gustav Thöni (3) Flag of Italy Italy Annemarie Pröll (3) Flag of Austria Austria
1974 Piero Gros Flag of Italy Italy Annemarie Pröll (4) Flag of Austria Austria
1975 Gustav Thöni (4) Flag of Italy Italy Annemarie Moser-Pröll (5) Flag of Austria Austria
1976 Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Sweden Sweden Rosi Mittermaier West Germany
1977 Ingemar Stenmark (2) Flag of Sweden Sweden Lise-Marie Morerod Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1978 Ingemar Stenmark (3) Flag of Sweden Sweden Hanni Wenzel Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein
1979 Peter Lüscher Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Annemarie Moser-Pröll (6) Flag of Austria Austria
1980 Andreas Wenzel Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein Hanni Wenzel (2) Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein
1981 Phil Mahre Flag of United States United States Marie-Theres Nadig Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1982 Phil Mahre (2) Flag of United States United States Erika Hess Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1983 Phil Mahre (3) Flag of United States United States Tamara McKinney Flag of United States United States
1984 Pirmin Zurbriggen Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Erika Hess (2) Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1985 Marc Girardelli Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg Michela Figini Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1986 Marc Girardelli (2) Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg Maria Walliser Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1987 Pirmin Zurbriggen (2) Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Maria Walliser (2) Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1988 Pirmin Zurbriggen (3) Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Michela Figini (2) Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1989 Marc Girardelli (3) Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg Vreni Schneider Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1990 Pirmin Zurbriggen (4) Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Petra Kronberger Flag of Austria Austria
1991 Marc Girardelli (4) Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg Petra Kronberger (2) Flag of Austria Austria
1992 Paul Accola Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Petra Kronberger (3) Flag of Austria Austria
1993 Marc Girardelli (5) Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg Anita Wachter Flag of Austria Austria
1994 Kjetil André Aamodt Flag of Norway Norway Vreni Schneider (2) Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1995 Alberto Tomba Flag of Italy Italy Vreni Schneider (3) Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1996 Lasse Kjus Flag of Norway Norway Katja Seizinger Flag of Germany Germany
1997 Luc Alphand Flag of France France Pernilla Wiberg Flag of Sweden Sweden
1998 Hermann Maier Flag of Austria Austria Katja Seizinger (2) Flag of Germany Germany
1999 Lasse Kjus (2) Flag of Norway Norway Alexandra Meissnitzer Flag of Austria Austria
2000 Hermann Maier (2) Flag of Austria Austria Renate Götschl Flag of Austria Austria
2001 Hermann Maier (3) Flag of Austria Austria Janica Kostelić Flag of Croatia Croatia
2002 Stephan Eberharter Flag of Austria Austria Michaela Dorfmeister Flag of Austria Austria
2003 Stephan Eberharter (2) Flag of Austria Austria Janica Kostelić (2) Flag of Croatia Croatia
2004 Hermann Maier (4) Flag of Austria Austria Anja Pärson Flag of Sweden Sweden
2005 Bode Miller Flag of United States United States Anja Pärson (2) Flag of Sweden Sweden
2006 Benjamin Raich Flag of Austria Austria Janica Kostelić (3) Flag of Croatia Croatia
2007 Aksel Lund Svindal Flag of Norway Norway Nicole Hosp Flag of Austria Austria

[edit] Most overall World Cup titles

The following skiers have won multiple overall alpine World Cup titles.

[edit] Men

Name Country Career Overall World Cups Discipline World Cups
Downhill Super G GS Slalom Combined
Marc Girardelli Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 1980–1996 5 2 - 1 3 4
Gustav Thöni Flag of Italy Italy 1969–1980 4 - - 3 2 -
Pirmin Zurbriggen Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1981–1990 4 2 4 3 - 3
Hermann Maier Flag of Austria Austria 1996–active 4 2 5 3 - -
Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Sweden Sweden 1973–1989 3 - - 8 8 -
Phil Mahre Flag of United States United States 1975–1984 3 - - 2 1 4

[edit] Women

Name Country Career Overall World Cups Discipline World Cups
Downhill Super G GS Slalom Combined
Annemarie Moser-Pröll Flag of Austria Austria 1969–1980 6 7 - 3 - 2
Petra Kronberger Flag of Austria Austria 1987–1992 3 - - - 1 -
Vreni Schneider Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1984–1995 3 - - 5 6 -
Janica Kostelić Flag of Croatia Croatia 1998–active 3 - - - 3 4


[edit] Most discipline World Cup titles

The records for most World Cup titles in each discipline are as follows:

[edit] Men

[edit] Women


For a complete list of winners in each discipline, see Alpine Skiing World Cup Men and Alpine Skiing World Cup Women.


[edit] Most successful race winners

A common measurement on how good individual skiers are is often the total number of World Cup races won during the skiing career. The following skiers have won at least 20 World Cup races:

[edit] Men

Pos. Name Country Career Victories Downhill Super G Giant Slalom Slalom Combined
1 Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Sweden Sweden 1973–1989 86 - - 46 40 -
2 Hermann Maier Flag of Austria Austria 1996–active 53 15 23 14 - 1
3 Alberto Tomba Flag of Italy Italy 1986–1998 50 - - 15 35 -
4 Marc Girardelli Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 1980–1996 46 3 9 7 16 11
5 Pirmin Zurbriggen Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1981–1990 40 10 10 7 2 11
6 Benjamin Raich Flag of Austria Austria 1997–active 29 - - 11 13 5
6 Stephan Eberharter Flag of Austria Austria 1989–2004 29 18 6 5 - -
8 Phil Mahre Flag of United States United States 1975–1984 27 - - 7 9 11
9 Franz Klammer Flag of Austria Austria 1972–1985 26 25 - - - 1
10 Bode Miller Flag of United States United States 1997–active 25 4 5 9 5 2
11 Peter Müller Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1977–1992 24 19 2 - - 3
11 Gustav Thöni Flag of Italy Italy 1969–1980 24 - - 11 9 4
13 Michael Von Grünigen Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1989–2003 23 - - 23 - -
14 Kjetil André Aamodt Flag of Norway Norway 1989–2006 21 1 5 6 1 8

[edit] Women

Pos. Name Country Career Victories Downhill Super G Giant Slalom Slalom Combined
1 Annemarie Moser-Pröll Flag of Austria Austria 1969–1980 62 36 - 16 3 7
2 Vreni Schneider Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1984–1995 55 - - 20 34 1
3 Renate Götschl Flag of Austria Austria 1993–active 46 24 17 - 1 4
4 Katja Seizinger Flag of Germany Germany 1989–1998 36 16 16 4 - -
5 Anja Pärson Flag of Sweden Sweden 1998–active 35 3 3 11 18 -
6 Hanni Wenzel Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein 1972–1984 33 2 - 12 11 8
7 Erika Hess Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1978–1987 31 - - 6 21 4
8 Janica Kostelić Flag of Croatia Croatia 1998–active 30 1 1 2 20 6
9 Michela Figini Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1983–1990 26 17 3 2 - 4
10 Maria Walliser Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1980–1990 25 14 3 6 - 2
10 Michaela Dorfmeister Flag of Austria Austria 1991–2006 25 7 10 8 - -
12 Pernilla Wiberg Flag of Sweden Sweden 1990–2002 24 2 3 2 14 3
12 Marie-Theres Nadig Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1971–1981 24 13 - 6 - 5
12 Lise-Marie Morerod Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1973–1980 24 - - 14 10 -
15 Carole Merle Flag of France France 1981–1994 22 - 12 10 - -
16 Hilde Gerg Flag of Germany Germany 1993–2005 20 7 8 - 2 3

[edit] All-event winners

Only a few of the most versatile racers have ever managed to win races in all 5 World Cup alpine skiing disciplines during their career, as listed in the table below. Marc Girardelli (1988–89), Petra Kronberger (1990–91), and Janica Kostelić (2005–6) are the only skiers to have won all 5 events in a single season. Since the combined was not introduced until the 1974–75 season and the Super G until 1982–83, the following list also includes those racers who won races in all disciplines available during their World Cup careers (events not available are marked by NA).

[edit] Men

Name Country Career Victories Downhill Super G Giant Slalom Slalom Combined
Marc Girardelli Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 1980–1996 46 3 9 7 16 11
Pirmin Zurbriggen Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1981–1990 40 10 10 7 2 11
Bode Miller Flag of United States United States 1997–active 25 4 5 9 5 2
Kjetil André Aamodt Flag of Norway Norway 1989–2006 21 1 5 6 1 8
Jean-Claude Killy Flag of France France 1967–1968 18 6 NA 7 5 NA
Günther Mader Flag of Austria Austria 1982–1998 14 1 6 2 1 4
Henri Duvillard Flag of France France 1967–1973 6 3 NA 2 1 NA

[edit] Women

Name Country Career Victories Downhill Super G Giant Slalom Slalom Combined
Annemarie Moser-Pröll Flag of Austria Austria 1969–1980 62 36 NA 16 3 7
Janica Kostelić Flag of Croatia Croatia 1998–active 30 1 1 2 20 6
Pernilla Wiberg Flag of Sweden Sweden 1990–2002 24 2 3 2 14 3
Petra Kronberger Flag of Austria Austria 1987–1992 16 6 2 3 3 2
Nancy Greene Flag of Canada Canada 1967–1968 14 3 NA 8 3 NA
Françoise Macchi Flag of France France 1968–1972 10 2 NA 6 2 NA


[edit] Most race wins in a single season

The following skiers have won at least 10 World Cup races in a single season (events not available in a given season are marked by NA):

[edit] Men

Name Country Season Victories Downhill Super G Giant Slalom Slalom Combined
Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Sweden Sweden 1978–79 13 - NA 10 3 -
Hermann Maier Flag of Austria Austria 2000–1 13 5 3 5 - -
Jean-Claude Killy Flag of France France 1967 12 5 NA 4 3 NA
Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Sweden Sweden 1979–80 11 - NA 6 5 -
Marc Girardelli Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 1984–85 11 - 2 2 7 -
Pirmin Zurbriggen Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1986–87 11 5 1 3 - 2
Alberto Tomba Flag of Italy Italy 1994–95 11 - - 4 7 -
Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Sweden Sweden 1976–77 10 - NA 3 7 -
Ingemar Stenmark Flag of Sweden Sweden 1980–81 10 - NA 6 4 -
Hermann Maier Flag of Austria Austria 1997–98 10 2 4 3 - 1
Hermann Maier Flag of Austria Austria 1999–2000 10 3 4 3 - -
Stephan Eberharter Flag of Austria Austria 2001–2 10 6 3 1 - -

[edit] Women

Name Country Season Victories Downhill Super G Giant Slalom Slalom Combined
Vreni Schneider Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 1988–89 14 - - 6 7 1
Annemarie Moser-Pröll Flag of Austria Austria 1972–73 11 8 NA 3 - NA
Anja Pärson Flag of Sweden Sweden 2003–4 11 - - 5 6 -
Annemarie Moser-Pröll Flag of Austria Austria 1974–75 10 2 NA 5 - 3


[edit] World Cup scoring system

The World Cup scoring system is based on awarding a number of points for each place in a race, but the procedure for doing so and the often-arcane method used to calculate the annual champions has varied greatly over the years. Originally, points were awarded only to the top 10 finishers in each race, with 25 points for the winner, 20 for second, 15 for third, 11 for fourth, 8 for fifth, 6 for sixth, 4 for seventh, and then decreasing by 1 point for each lower place. To determine the winner for each discipline World Cup, only a racer's best 3 results would count, even though there would typically be 6-8 races in each discipline. For the overall Cup, the best three results in each discipline would be summed. For the 1971–72 season, the number of results counted was increased to 5 in each discipline. The formula used to determine the overall winner varied almost every year over the next decade, with some seasons divided into two portions with a fixed number of results in each period counting towards the overall, while in other seasons the best 3 or 4 results in each discipline would count.

Starting with the 1979–80 season, points were awarded to the top 15 finishers in each race. After 1980–81, the formula for the overall title stabilized for several years, counting the best 5 results in the original disciplines (slalom, giant slalom, and downhill) plus the best 3 results in combined. When Super G events were introduced for the 1982–83 season, the results were included with giant slalom for the first three seasons, before a separate discipline Cup was awarded starting in 1985–86 and the top 3 Super G results were counted towards the overall. The formula for the overall was changed yet again the following season, with the top 4 results in each discipline counting, along with all combined results (although the combined was nearly eliminated from the schedule, reduced to only 1 or 2 events per season).

This perennial tweaking of the scoring formula was a source of ongoing uncertainty to the World Cup racers and to fans. The need for a complete overhaul of the scoring system had grown increasingly urgent with each successive year, and in 1987–88 the FIS decided to fully simplify the system: all results would now count in each discipline and in the overall. This new system was an immediate success, and the practice of counting all results has been maintained in every subsequent season. With the ongoing expansion of the number and quality of competitors in World Cup races over the years, a major change to the scoring system was implemented in the 1991–92 season. The top 30 finishers in each race would now earn points, with 100 for the winner, 80 for second, 60 for third, and then decreasing by smaller increments for each lower place. The point values were adjusted slightly the following season (to reduce the points for places 4th through 20th), and the scoring system has not been changed again since that year. The table below compares the point values under all five scoring systems which have been in use:

Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Current System
1993
100 80 60 50 45 40 36 32 29 26 24 22 20 18 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1992 System
1992
100 80 60 55 51 47 43 40 37 34 31 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Top 15 System
19801991
25 20 15 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1979 System †
1979
25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Original System
19671979
25 20 15 11 8 6 4 3 2 1

† NOTE: The scoring system changed during the 1978–79 season; this special system was used for the last 2 men's downhills and the last 3 races in every other discipline expect combined.

[edit] Statistics and Trivia

During the past decade, the number of completed men's or women's World Cup races each year has ranged from 30 to 39,[2] so the maximum possible point total for an individual racer is about 3000–3900 under the current scoring system (although very few racers actually ski in all events; for example, Bode Miller was "the only skier to have competed in every World Cup race the past three seasons"[3] i.e 20032005). The current record for total World Cup points in a season is Hermann Maier's 2000 points in 1999-2000, with the women's record of 1970 points set by Janica Kostelić in 2005–6. The fewest points for an overall champion under the current system thus far has been 1130 by Luc Alphand in 1996–97. The largest margin of victory in the overall has been Maier's 743 points in 2000-1, nearly doubling second place finisher Stephan Eberharter's total. The closest finishes since 1992 have been miniscule margins of 6 points in 1994-95 (Vreni Schneider over Katja Seizinger) and only 3 points in 2004-5 (Anja Pärson over Janica Kostelić).

The tables below contain a brief statistical analysis of the overall World Cup standings during the first 15 seasons after the Top 30 scoring system was implemented in 1991–92. In general, over 1000 points are needed to contend for the overall title. At least 1 man and 1 woman has scored 1000 points in each of these seasons, but no more than 5 men's or women's racers have crossed that threshold in any single season. Of the 30 men's and women's overall champions in these years, 28 scored over 1200 points, 21 had over 1300 points, 14 reached 1500 points, and 4 amassed more than 1700 points during their winning seasons. As for the runners-up, 26 of the 30 second-place finishers scored over 1000 points, 12 had over 1300 points, and only 2 reached 1500 points yet failed to win. Most overall titles have been won quite convincingly, by more than 300 points in 16 of 30 cases, while only 7 margins of victory have been tighter than 50 points.

Annual Statistics Calculated for the 19922006 Seasons
Men's Overall World Cup
Races Completed 1st Place Points Margin of Victory 2nd Place Points 3rd Place Points Number of Skiers per Season:
> 1000 Pts > 500 Pts > 200 Pts
Maximum 38 2000 743 1454 1307 5 19 43
Average 34.5 1473 318 1155 991 2.5 14 40
Minimum 30 1130 23 775 760 1 8 37
Women's Overall World Cup
Races Completed 1st Place Points Margin of Victory 2nd Place Points 3rd Place Points Number of Skiers per Season:
> 1000 Pts > 500 Pts > 200 Pts
Maximum 39 1970 536 1662 1391 5 19 45
Average 33.1 1522 247 1275 1098 3 13 38
Minimum 30 1248 3 931 904 1 10 32
Aggregate Statistics Calculated for the 19922006 Seasons
Men's and Women's Overall World Cups: Total Numbers Across 15 Seasons
> 1700 Pts > 1500 Pts > 1300 Pts > 1200 Pts > 1100 Pts > 1000 Pts > 900 Pts > 800 Pts
First Place 4 14 21 28 30 30 30 30
Second Place - 2 12 16 19 26 28 29
Third Place - - 3 4 9 18 25 29
> 600 Pts > 500 Pts > 400 Pts > 300 Pts > 200 Pts > 100 Pts >= 50 Pts < 50 Pts
Margin of Victory 2 5 9 16 19 21 23 7

[edit] Nations Cup

The Nations Cup standings are calculated by adding up the point totals each season for all racers from a given nation.

Year Total Standings   Men's Standings   Women's Standings
First Second Third First Second Third First Second Third
1967 Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Canada CAN Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Canada CAN
1968 Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA
1969 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA
1970 Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT
1971 Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA
1972 Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of Italy ITA Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA
1973 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA Flag of West Germany FRG
1974 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of France FRA
1975 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of West Germany FRG
1976 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Switzerland SUI
1977 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA
1978 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of West Germany FRG
1979 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of United States USA
1980 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of West Germany FRG
1981 Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of West Germany FRG
1982 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of United States USA Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Switzerland SUI
1983 Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Sweden SWE Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT
1984 Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Sweden SWE Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT
1985 Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of France FRA
1986 Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG
1987 Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG
1988 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG
1989 Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA
1990 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of West Germany FRG Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of West Germany FRG
1991 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Germany GER Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Germany GER
1992 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Germany GER Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Germany GER Flag of Switzerland SUI
1993 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Germany GER Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Germany GER Flag of Switzerland SUI
1994 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Germany GER Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI
1995 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Germany GER Flag of Austria AUT
1996 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Germany GER Flag of Switzerland SUI
1997 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Germany GER Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA
1998 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Germany GER Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Germany GER Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA
1999 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Germany GER Flag of France FRA
2000 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA Flag of Italy ITA
2001 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Norway NOR Flag of Austria AUT Flag of France FRA Flag of Switzerland SUI
2002 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of France FRA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA
2003 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Germany GER
2004 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Germany GER Flag of United States USA
2005 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Germany GER
2006 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Sweden SWE Flag of United States USA
2007 Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of United States USA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of Switzerland SUI Flag of Italy ITA Flag of Austria AUT Flag of United States USA Flag of Sweden SWE

The early years of the World Cup were largely dominated by the French ski team, as reflected in their Nations Cup wins in 5 of the first 6 years. The Austrian team then took over throughout the rest of the 1970s, followed by Swiss superiority during most of the 1980s. A resurgent Austrian team charged back to the top in 1990, beginning a long streak of conscutive Nations Cup triumphs. Austrian dominance reached its zenith in the late 1990s and 2000s, when their point total regularly doubled that of the second place finisher, and was capped in the 1999–2000 and 2003–4 seasons with totals that tripled those of runner-up Italy. Their 17927 point total in 1999–2000 is a Nations Cup record, as is their 12066 point margin of victory in 2003–4.

As of the end of the 2005–6 season, the Austrian team had won 17 consecutive Nations Cups, while topping the men's standings for 14 straight years and the women's for 8 in a row. In the midst of the ongoing Austrian juggernaut, the Swiss or Italian teams have usually held second place. The German team reached the runner-up spot for the first time in 1997–8, as did the Norwegians the next season. The USA enjoyed its best placings ever starting in 2004–5, grabbing second in the Nations Cup for two straight years.

Under the current scoring system, the winning nation (Austria every year) has averaged over 12900 points, with an average of 6400 for the runner-up, 5400 for third place, 4200 for fifth, and 1300 for tenth. The all-inclusive scoring system (simply adding together all World Cup points earned) favors national teams with great depth and many racers scoring World Cup points, and even teams with several top racers have no realistic chance of breaking the Austrian grip on the top spot, while a team with only one or two top-ranked racers will struggle to ever break the top five in the standings. There have been numerous calls for a revamped scoring system which would allow other nations to compete more readily for top spots in the Nations Cup, but no changes are likely to be made.[4]

The total number of top-three placings for each nation in the Nations Cup (through the 2006–7 season) are summarized below:

Nation Total Standings   Men's Standings   Women's Standings
First Second Third First Second Third First Second Third
Flag of Austria Austria 29 12 - 30 9 1 22 12 4
Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 7 19 8 5 20 12 9 7 7
Flag of France France 5 2 1 3 3 1 6 4 5
Flag of Italy Italy - 4 11 3 5 13 - 1 4
Flag of United States United States - 2 11 - 2 4 1 5 7
Flag of Germany Germany - 1 9 - - 1 3 11 12
Flag of Norway Norway - 1 - - 2 7 - - -
Flag of Canada Canada - - 1 - - - - - 1
Flag of Sweden Sweden - - - - - 2 - 1 1

NOTE: Results for West Germany and Germany are counted together in this table.

[edit] Nations which have won World Cup races

The table below lists those nations which have won at least 1 World Cup race (as of February 23, 2007).

Nation Total Victories   Victories by Discipline
Men Women Both Downhill Super G Giant Slalom Slalom Combined
Flag of Austria Austria 376 297 673 264 103 144 125 37
Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 215 264 479 171 36 134 88 50
Flag of France France 98 141 239 51 27 59 101 1
Flag of Italy Italy 146 58 204 35 18 67 79 5
Flag of Sweden Sweden 111 66 177 5 8 67 94 3
Flag of Germany Germany 30 143 173 44 44 37 38 10
Flag of United States United States 89 83 172 46 14 38 56 18
Flag of Norway Norway 79 8 87 19 14 22 19 13
Flag of Canada Canada 26 34 60 36 6 12 5 1
Flag of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein 23 36 59 5 2 17 21 14
Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 22 28 50 1 3 13 33 -
Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg 46 - 46 3 9 7 16 11
Flag of Croatia Croatia 8 30 38 1 1 2 27 7
Flag of Finland Finland 13 5 18 - - 4 14 -
Flag of Spain Spain 1 10 11 - - 7 4 -
Flag of New Zealand New Zealand - 5 5 - - - 5 -
Flag of Russia Russia - 5 5 4 1 - - -
Flag of Soviet Union Soviet Union 5 - 5 1 - 3 1 -
Flag of Australia Australia 2 1 3 1 1 - 1 -
Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia - 3 3 1 - - 1 1
Flag of Poland Poland 1 1 2 - - - 2 -
Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 1 - 1 - - - 1 -
Totals 1292 1218 2510 688 287 633 731 171

NOTE: Results for West Germany and Germany are counted together in this table. All of Yugoslavia's wins are currently lumped in with Slovenia, since the skiers who won races for Yugoslavia all ended their careers racing for Slovenia, and thus are listed under Slovenia in online databases. The Soviet Union and Russia are counted separately.

A total of 22 countries have won World Cup races, with 19 different countries winning men's and women's races. As expected, the top 9 nations in this list match the 9 nations listed in the Nations Cup summary table.

Some interesting tidbits can be found in the data: Marc Girardelli accounted for all of Luxembourg's 46 wins, while Janica Kostelić has 30 of Croatia's 38 (her brother Ivica has the rest) and Ingemar Stenmark still has nearly one-half of Sweden's 177 wins more than a decade after his retirement. Some nations specialize in either speed (downhill and Super G) or technical (Slalom and GS) disciplines, while others are strong across the board. Among nations with 30+ wins, the Canadian team has won 70% of its races in speed events, while Yugoslavia/Slovenia has won 94% and Sweden 91% of their races in technical events, especially remarkable in Sweden's case given its huge total of 177 wins. Several nations with under 20 wins have 100% of them in technical events, led by Finland and Spain. In contrast Germany and Norway have the most even distribution without disproportionate strength or weakness in any one discipline. Some nations have strong teams in only one gender, as 91% of Norway's wins have come from their men and 83% of Germany's from their women, while the American total is split almost equally.

[edit] References

  1. ^ FIS NewsFlash, Edition 72, April 26th, 2006
  2. ^ See FIS document, "Analysis of races held 1994-2006": http://www.fis-ski.com/data/document/racessummary1.pdf
  3. ^ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05295/593141.stm
  4. ^ Black Diamonds: Nations Cup more than half empty. Ski Racing. Retrieved on February 21, 2007.

[edit] External Links

[edit] See also


Alpine skiing World Cup (Women - Men)

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