Barbara-Maria "Barbi" Henneberger (4 October 1940 – 12 April 1964) was an alpine ski racer and Olympic medalist from West Germany. She competed for the United Team of Germany at the 1960 and 1964 Winter Olympics, and at the 1962 World Championships.
 Henneberger at the 1964 Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Barbara Maria Henneberger | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 4 October 1940 Oberstaufen, Bavaria, Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 12 April 1964 (aged 23) Trais Fleur slope near St. Moritz, Switzerland | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Alpine skier | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skiing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disciplines | Downhill, giant slalom, slalom, combined | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | TAK München | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 2 – (1960, 1964) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 1 (0 gold) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 3 – (1960, 1962, 1964) includes two Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 2 (0 gold) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ski racing
editBorn in Oberstaufen, Bavaria, Henneberger competed in the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley at age 19. She won the bronze medal in the slalom,[1] finished eleventh in the downhill, and 15th in the giant slalom. Henneberger was third in the combined, which earned a world championship medal. Four years later in 1964 at Innsbruck, she finished fifth in the downhill, seventh in the giant slalom, and tenth in the slalom.
In North America to model clothes after the 1963 season ended in Europe, Henneberger was not planning to compete at the U.S. Alpine Championships in Alaska at Alyeska in early April. Using borrowed skis, she won the downhill and slalom and finished second in the giant slalom.[2][3][4][5]
Death
editFollowing the 1964 season, Henneberger and a dozen others were in Switzerland near St. Moritz in April to film the promotional movie Ski-Fascination for Willy Bogner, Jr. Caught in a spring avalanche, she died at age 23 in Val Selin along with U.S. racer Buddy Werner. Both had raced ahead of the first avalanche, but were caught by a second from an opposite slope.[6] Found hours later under 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.0 m) of snow, their deaths were attributed to suffocation,[7][8][9][10] and were the only two fatalities in the group.[11] Her funeral and procession in Munich were attended by thousands.[12]
Bogner, 22, and Henneberger were to be engaged that summer;[6] he was tried by a Swiss court for homicide by negligence.[13] After Bogner was initially acquitted,[14] the prosecution pursued an appeal and won a conviction for manslaughter by negligence,[15] and Bogner received a two-month suspended sentence.[16]
World championship results
edit| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant Slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 19 | 3 | 15 | not run | 11 | 3 |
| 1962 | 21 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 4 | |
| 1964 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.
Olympic results 
edit
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant Slalom |
Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 19 | 3 | 15 | not run | 11 | not run |
| 1964 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
References
edit- ^ "Proud medal winners". Ottawa Citizen. (Canada). Associated Press (photo). 27 February 1960. p. 9.
- ^ Terrell, Roy (15 April 1963). "Cool skiing in sun-baked Alaska". Sports Illustrated. p. 54.
- ^ "Jean Saubert wins slalom". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. 6 April 1963. p. 2B.
- ^ "Jean Saubert giant slalom ski winner". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. 6 April 1963. p. 10.
- ^ "Second, but still champs". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. 8 April 1963. p. 4B.
- ^ a b "German skier not to blame for 2 deaths". Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press. 29 August 1964. p. 2.
- ^ "The Man with No Luck". Sports Illustrated. 20 April 1964. p. 15.
- ^ "Ski star killed racing avalanche". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. 13 April 1964. p. 1.
- ^ "Fate finally put finger on Buddy Werner". Lewiston Evening Journal. (Maine). Associated Press. 13 April 1964. p. 10.
- ^ "Plaques honor slide victims". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. 12 December 1964. p. 9.
- ^ "German skier named in death of 2 companions". Prescott Evening Courier. (Arizona). UPI. 27 August 1964. p. 1.
- ^ "AP wirephoto". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. 16 April 1964. p. 1-final. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Deaths of skiers said homicide". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). UPI. 8 June 1964. p. 2.
- ^ "German skier acquitted of negligence". Vancouver Sun. (Canada). UPI. 31 August 1964. p. 11.
- ^ "German convicted of manslaughter". Eugene-Register Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. 1 April 1965. p. 1D.
- ^ "German skier found negligent". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. 31 March 1965. p. 2.
External links
edit
- Barbi Henneberger at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
- Barbi Henneberger at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- Barbi Henneberger at Olympics.com
- Barbi Henneberger photos at Alpine Style 56
- Barbara Maria "Barbi" Henneberger at Find a Grave