Salzburg's successes

Olympic Games once arrived in the country by train

Steinacher (r.) won gold.(Bild: Honorar)

For several years now, mini delegations have concealed the quite presentable role of Salzburg athletes at the Summer Olympics. Sailing is still the state's flagship discipline. However, Salzburg has been waiting for a medal since 2008.

Ridiculed by its critics, the triumph of the modern Olympic idea took time. It first arrived in Salzburg in 1919. Austria's first (and until Anna Kiesenhofer in 2021, only) Olympic cycling champion, Westphalian-born Adolf Schmal, traveled through Salzburg by train while on vacation. He fell at the main station during a commotion and died.

It took until 1932 before Salzburg appeared on the map of the Summer Games in a more positive light: the Viennese snowbird sailor Hans Riedl competed for the UYC Mattsee.

Four years later, the big appearance in Berlin followed with the first "real" Salzburgers, including medals for four footballers and in poetry for Hans Helmut Stoiber from Zell, later co-founder of the Hohe Tauern National Park. Never again was the Alpine republic to send more athletes to games - over 180! 

The footballers won silver in '36.(Bild: zVg)

In post-war history, the kickers (such as record-breaking Austrian Franz Feldinger) and wrestlers were the first to make their mark before the great age of sailing began. From 1960, the local record participant Hubert Raudaschl from St. Gilgen made it to the Summer Games ten times until 1996, making nine appearances. Brother Walter and son Florian also took part once each. Sailing alone accounted for almost a third of the athletes.

The heyday of the 70s
The appearances in Munich 1972 and Montreal '76 are unforgettable: Salzburg sent over 20 athletes to each event. This means that these events account for almost half of all starters to date. Unimaginable today - the last time they scratched the double-digit mark was in 2000 and 2004 with nine athletes each (men only). 

Bronze: Petritsch.(Bild: Repro)

After Berlin, the team only managed to take home more than one medal twice: in 1980 at the boycott games in Moscow and in 2000 in Sydney. Speaking of Australia: with 81 athletes, this year's Red-White-Red contingent is the largest since 2000. Only three from Salzburg are taking part - a third of the number back then. Public spending on sport has risen from a very low level in the recent past. But the national Olympic squad has not been able to change its exotic existence.

For comparison: the poorest country in the world, Burundi, is sending seven participants to Paris this year. Which is nevertheless encouraging: The chance of the first precious metal since judoka Lupo Paischer in 2008 is still alive this year despite the mini squad. Head of delegation Christoph Sieber is hoping for "five to ten medals".