Cranz, Christl (1914—)

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Cranz, Christl (1914—)

German Alpine skier. Born July 1, 1914, in Germany.

Won the Olympic gold medal in the combined event (1936); won more titles (12) than anyone before her—male or female—in the World Championships (1934–39): in the downhill (1935, 1937, 1939), the slalom (1934, 1937, 1938, 1939), and the combined (1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939).

In the 1936 winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the women's Alpine consisted of a combined event that included a downhill and a slalom. Christl Cranz won the gold; her teammate Kathe Grasegger took the silver. The bronze was won by a 16-year-old Norwegian named Laila Schou-Nielsen . Between the years 1934 and 1939, Cranz won 12 World Championship titles, more than any previous athlete—male or female.

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