Vienna, February 10 – On last 3rd February, the Austrian Olympic Committee brought together Austrias sports world to remember its sports personality of the century, all-time skiing superstar Toni Sailer, exactly 55 years after he became the first skier to take the alpine triple crown, winning downhill, slalom and giant slalom.

Skiing celebrity and later film actor Anton Engelbert, Toni Sailer, was born in Kitzbühel on 17 November 1935 and died in Innsbruck on 24 August 2009. Although he retired at the peak of his career, at the age of only 23, he was involved in sports until the end of his life. For his contribution to the Olympic Movement, the International Olympic Committee awarded him the Olympic Order in 1985.

Nearly 60 Olympic Medal Winners from eight decades answered President Dr. Stoss and Secretary General Dr. Mennels invitation to Vienna. The NOC President of the Czech Republic, Milan Jirasek, the NOC President of Slovakia, Frantisek Chmelár and his Secretary General, Jozef Liba, also joined the memorial.

IOC President Jacques Rogge himself honoured the event by sending a video message, in which he revealed that Toni Sailer was one of his childhood idols. He also thanked the Austrian Olympic Committee for organizing this event to strengthen Olympic Values within Austria´s Olympic Movement.