Walter Steiner (born February 15, 1951) is a Swiss

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....

 ski jumper

Ski jumping

Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...

 who was active in the 1970's.

Steiner earned a ski jumping

Ski jumping

Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...

 silver medal in the Individual large hill at the 1972 Winter Olympics

1972 Winter Olympics

The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...

. He also won the ski jumping competition at the Holmenkollen ski festival

Holmenkollen ski festival

The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...

 in 1974 and won the Ski-flying World Championships

Ski-flying World Championships

The FIS Ski Flying World Championships is a competition that is held every two years, with the occasional exception. The Championship takes place in big ski jumping hills, with K-spots over 185 meters. Unlike ordinary ski jumping, the Ski Flying World Champion is determined after four jumps...

 in 1972 and 1977.

Steiner was awarded the Holmenkollen medal

Holmenkollen medal

The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....

 in 1977 (Shared with Helena Takalo and Hilkka Kuntola

Hilkka Kuntola

Hilkka Riihivuori née Kuntola is a Finnish former cross country skier who competed during the 1970s and 1980s. She competed in three Winter Olympics, earning a total of four medals...

.).

Walter Steiner presently resides in Swedish rural town of Falun

Falun

Falun is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 36,447 inhabitants in 2005. It is also the capital of Dalarna County...

, working as a gardener.

Movie

He is the subject of The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner

The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner is a 1974 documentary film by German filmmaker Werner Herzog. It is about celebrated ski-jumper Walter Steiner who works as a carpenter for his full-time occupation...

, a documentary film made by Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...

 in 1974. A lot of the footage shows Steiner and his psychological struggle at a competition at Planica

Planica

Planica is an alpine valley in northwestern Slovenia, extending south from the border village of Rateče, not far from another well-known ski resort, Kranjska Gora. Further south, the valley extends into the Tamar Valley, a popular hiking destination in Triglav National Park.Planica is famous for...

where Herzog also appears as commentator.