Annemarie Moser-Pröll
An Austrian force of nature who dominated women's skiing with a relentless competitive fire, piling up World Cup wins and titles at a rate no one has matched.
Born 1952 (age 74)·Austrian alpine skier·Birthday: March 27·Baby Boomers
Biography
Annemarie Moser-Pröll didn't just win ski races; she imposed her will on mountains and competitors with a consistency that redefined excellence. Hailing from Kleinarl, she exploded onto the World Cup scene as a teenager, her powerful, aggressive style perfectly suited for the speed events. The 1970s became her personal domain, as she strung together five consecutive overall World Cup titles—a streak only interrupted by a brief, surprising retirement in her prime to focus on family. She returned hungrier than ever, reclaiming her throne with a sixth overall crown. Her dominance in downhill was absolute; she won 36 World Cup downhills, a record that stood for decades. The one prize that eluded her was Olympic gold, a narrative she dramatically reversed at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. In her final season, under immense pressure, she finally captured the downhill gold, a crowning moment of validation. She retired not as a fading champion, but at the very peak, leaving a statistical legacy that still defines the sport.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Annemarie was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Annemarie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Annemarie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a record six women's overall World Cup titles, including five in a row from 1971 to 1975.
- Captured the Olympic downhill gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Games, adding to two previous silver medals.
- Set the women's record for most World Cup race victories (62), a mark that stood for over 30 years.
- Won 36 World Cup downhill races, a discipline record that remained unbroken for nearly four decades.
- Secured three World Championship gold medals in downhill and combined events in 1978 and 1980.
Did You Know?
She briefly retired from skiing at age 22 in 1975 to marry and start a family, but returned to competition two years later.
Her younger sister, Cornelia Pröll, was also an Olympic alpine skier for Austria.
She was known for her intense pre-race focus and would often listen to music on headphones to isolate herself.
After retirement, she and her husband ran a ski hotel in her hometown of Kleinarl.
In 1999, she was named Austrian Sportswoman of the Century.
“You have to attack the mountain, or it will attack you.”
