peter runggaldier

When I was five years old my elder brother introduced me to skiing. And it was not before long that I joined the Sci Club Gardena and started ski racing.
Every Sunday – and every so often already on a Saturday – it was an exciting adventure to set off and take part in the races. Luckily, I was quite successful too.
There are especially two results to point out, before I was old enough to participate in the FIS races, namely the second place in the Italian Championships in the Boys’ Downhill category and the silver medal at the Trofeo Topolino (international event for young competitors aged between seven and fourteen).
Gradually, I was able to become noticeable by achieving good results in the FIS races. As a result, after two years I was accepted in the Squadra Nazionale C (Italian National Team C, which featured all alpine skiing events).

After two years of FIS races and a Junior Championship, in which I earned the silver medal in the combined event, the coaches noticed my penchant for speed. This fact combined with some very good downhill results made the huge jump from Team C to Team A in the downhill event possible.

It seemed to me the climax of my skiing career to be in the Italian National Team together with Michael Mair, Danilo Sbardelotto, Alberto Ghidoni and many other great athletes. It was a dream come true.
The performance in my first races, however, was a disaster, with up to ten seconds off the winning places. At that moment I felt at the lowest of my abilities; I did not give up though.
One of the first races to give me back my confidence was a super giant in which – despite a high starting number – I was able to beat an idol like Alberto Tomba, finishing in 8th place.

My performance improved rapidly and in 1989 I could take part in the World Cup for the first time. From then on I was quite successful. My greatest achievements to name were:
• Winner of the World Championship in the super giant in 1995
• Silver medal in 1991 at the World Cup in the Saalbach downhill
• Two super giant victories, one in Canada and one in Japan at the 1995 World Cup
• Five further podium finishes at the World Cup in downhill, including a second and a third place in Kitzbühl, a second in Garmisch and two further second places in Wengen and in St. Anton
• Four further podium finishes at the World Cup in super giant – a second place in Kitzbühl, second in Bormeo, third both in Val d’Isere and Laax.

It is a really good feeling to have been successful as an athlete, even though there were highs and lows. But the most important thing is that I never gave up even if things did not look bright.

I quit racing in March 2000 after the World Cup finals with a respectable 8th place in super G and went on to explore the world of work by opening a ski school for competitive sport, Centro Agonistico in Selva di Gardena. In 2006 I united the centre for competitive sport with the traditional ski school and took up the post of managing director.

Currently

I am still committed to the centre for competitive skiing, Centro Agonistico “Peter Runggaldier”, I am also responsible for Dolomiti Superski tours targeted at people from the press and the media, and I am the technical manager of the Porsche Sci Club, organizing 5 stages of races on the most renowned skiing sites in Italy.
Presently I am part of the Team Südtirol Sellaronda HERO, organizing the MTB Marathon Championship for 27 June 2015, the mountain bike race in the heart of the breathtaking Dolomites.

Other interests
In addition to skiing I also practise backcountry skiing in winter. In summer I like to choose among various activities such as football, motorcycling with friends, cycling and golf.

Best sporting regards
Runghi