Spaghetti and co.

What Olympic champions serve up on Christmas Eve

The 1976 Olympic champions, Franz Klammer and Karl Schnabl, are having pasta on the table.(Bild: Florian Pessentheiner)

The Carinthian Olympic champions celebrate Christmas Eve with their loved ones - almost all of them with traditional food. The "Krone" asked around to find out what Franz Klammer, Anna Gasser and co. serve up.

Eight Olympic champions in one place - that only happens in Carinthia. They are looking forward to the holidays - and at snowboard queen Anna Gasser's home in Millstatt there are two menus: "My sister is a vegetarian, I'm a vegan - so my parents cook extra for both of us. We always watch a Christmas movie during this time." The newly crowned Olympic champion Lara Vadlau also spends Christmas with her family.

Anna Gasser celebrates with her parents and sister. Boyfriend Clemens Millauer is with his family in Upper Austria.(Bild: Andreas Tischler)

The festive meal at ski jumping legend Karl Schnabl's will be very special. Today he is visiting his wife Sabine's mother in Innsbruck. And because one of the younger children wants spaghetti, there will be pasta on Christmas Eve: "Otherwise it will be a contemplative evening."

Franz Klammer is also serving pasta in Bad Kleinkirchheim today. "We always eat steamed noodles for lunch. It's been that way in our family for ages," says the 1976 downhill Olympic champion in Innsbruck.

Former ski jumping ace Thomas Morgenstern celebrates with the whole family at his parents' home in Lieserbrücke. Raclette is eaten as befits the occasion.

Three-time Olympic champion Matthias Mayer first celebrates with his family, then spends a few days training with the Carinthian junior skiers over the festive period.

Because his wife Bettina is originally from Salzburg, Fritz Strobl jets off to the city of Mozart for lunch on Christmas Eve. "Traditionally, we always eat Salzburg sausage soup there," says the 2002 Olympic champion in Salt Lake City.

Paralympics champion Markus Salcher is eating twice today: "At lunchtime we have sausages with cabbage and then beef stew in the evening.