Double-Olympic champion Rosi Mittermaier passes away at 72

Double-Olympic champion Rosi Mittermaier has passed away at the age of 72 following a battle with illness, it has been confirmed.

This was confirmed by the family of the two-time Olympic champion to the news agency “SID”. Mittermaier “fell asleep peacefully in the circle of her family” on Wednesday after a serious illness.

Mittermaier is survived by her husband Christian Neureuther, their children Ameli and Felix Neureuther and their grandchildren.

Son Felix won one gold, one silver and three bronze world championship medals as a slalom specialist and ended his career in March 2019.

Mittermaier began her career at the age of 16 in the 1966-67 season and won her first race in 1969 at Schruns in Austria.

She retired early at the age of 26 but she saved her best for last with an astonishing performance in the 1975-76 season.

Mittermaier won five races including double gold at the Olympics in the slalom and downhill and triple gold at the World Championships in the slalom, downhill and combined.

She also took home the small globes for the slalom and combined as well as the big crystal globe for the overall.