Franz Krienbühl
Encyclopedia
Franz Krienbühl was a Swiss
speed skater
who is mostly known for his inventions that changed the sport.
Starting his international sporting career only in his late thirties at the 1968 Winter Olympics
of Grenoble
, Krienbühl mostly skated at the back of the field. However, in 1974, he introduced the one-piece skin suit into speed skating. In spite of the fact that he improved his times dramatically, he was initially laughed at. However, when other skaters also showed improvement, the top skaters quickly switched to the suits as well. Krienbühl also introduced minor improvements for skates.
Krienbühl's best performance was the eighth position on the 10,000 m at the 1976 Winter Olympics
. He stopped speed skating internationally at age 48 the next season, though he continued to skate competitively until 1986. During his career, he won no less than 14 Swiss Allround Championships. In 1989, Krienbühl was severely injured in a cycling accident. He died in the spring of 2002, aged 73.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
speed skater
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
who is mostly known for his inventions that changed the sport.
Starting his international sporting career only in his late thirties at the 1968 Winter Olympics
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
of Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, Krienbühl mostly skated at the back of the field. However, in 1974, he introduced the one-piece skin suit into speed skating. In spite of the fact that he improved his times dramatically, he was initially laughed at. However, when other skaters also showed improvement, the top skaters quickly switched to the suits as well. Krienbühl also introduced minor improvements for skates.
Krienbühl's best performance was the eighth position on the 10,000 m at the 1976 Winter Olympics
1976 Winter Olympics
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria...
. He stopped speed skating internationally at age 48 the next season, though he continued to skate competitively until 1986. During his career, he won no less than 14 Swiss Allround Championships. In 1989, Krienbühl was severely injured in a cycling accident. He died in the spring of 2002, aged 73.