He let Zurbriggen after the Training, 25 km run

Franz Heinzer, the downhill world champion from 1991, says: "As a coach, he was a Maniac, a maniac. One who did everything to win."

Daniel Mahrer, Kitzbühel winner of 1989, writes: "He was a Visionary, hard and unconditionally; his methods would not today be tolerated."

Pirmin Zurbriggen, the most successful Swiss skier, said: "Karl was strict, terribly strict."

Shortly before half-eight, Karl Frehsner invites you to Breakfast. He flirts with the waitress, hugs an employee of Swiss-Ski, organized the guest chair and place Setting. This is actually the man we are told these robbers stories? The many athletes equally, and the devil wanted to be admired? He acts like a grandpa to read to the first graders a good night's history – how a Good-mood-bear. Therefore, the entry-level Karl Frehsner question: "who are you?"

you will not be Answered for the time being.

On the Lauberhorn does not protect age-before pace, the photographer, he drives again and again.

In upper Austria, grew up Frehsner, as the son of a woodcutter, just before the outbreak of the Second world war. 53 world championship and Olympic medals won over drivers under his care, it is an incredible yield, the let him to an Institution is prohibited, "Übertrainer" how Heinzer. Since 2004, he is retired – but not retired. The Swiss ski Federation, he takes care of the procurement of the suits,he selects the fabric and cut, test with Beat Feuz and Mauro Caviezel in the wind tunnel.

In Wengen, he oversees the five Ancestors for the departure; he is the Einwärmen, designed fitness training, gives technical Inputs. There is a Ski world Cup for 79-Year-old, he would probably win in great style. On the Lauberhorn age pace does not protect the photographer, he drives again and again. As long as he could reasonably slip reasonable down the mountain, he'll be there, says Frehsner. 15 years ago, he promised his wife to take time for the long overdue, and balcony coating. Has not done it until today.

Jogging in minus 25 degrees

anyone Who keeps up with Frehsner, embarks on a journey back in time. As a first grader already he organized ski races for older colleagues, and later he even took part in which part, long before the creation of the world Cup. He worked for the Skifabrikanten Blizzard and settled in the Zurich area. Frehsner has been a coach, first on the lower levels, at the end of the 1970s, he rose in the world Cup. It is the Golden Swiss time came up with four victories and a downhill team, were able to win in which ten of the twelve drivers in the race.

Frehsner has been testing the optimal attitude with Franz Heinzer in the wind tunnel in 1986. Photo: Keystone

Frehsner told and told, the round will be greater, because you have to listen to him. He mentioned a training camp in Argentina, with Zurbriggen and Peter Müller, the six weeks it took, a single day he gave to the athletes. For 14 days you would have had to the off-Piste back to the Hotel to run, 14-25 kilometres, after four hours of ski training. Frehsner let his men time to six o'clock in the Morning to run, at minus 25 degrees. "Then, when one had a birthday, they wanted to in the output. The Bar opened shortly before midnight, as long as could hold no more."

master of the charming climate

The chief made a more bracing climate, and resorted to questionable methods. When you play ice hockey, he was able to put on one or the other time commands, Müller with the Stock one, because this would return the favour on the track with fast times, all the more fierce. The Miller, Zurbriggens, Heinzers and Cathomens had himself fought in the gym. "Friends, you were not. I'm sure that even today, no one is happy for the other, if he is this defeated. Who is the liar says."

the game room for discussion, there was Frehsner never, the Regime was totalitarian. After Paul Accola appeared a few seconds late to a team meeting, took him to the Coach, the start number in a way, Accola had to watch it the next day. Another Athlete was on a bike tour in the air tired deliberately out of the tires, Frehsner noticed this and instructed him to run the Route. Not that he would be a sadist to have been consideration, no, it was always about getting the most out of his protégés. Not everyone obeyed, some stopped under his Aegis, surprisingly early.

Once he fell 60 feet in depth, as he thought, in the Fall, it was with him.

The legendary trainer is convinced that the man is much capable of doing more than he thinks he can afford. It is the currency that gave him and his brother on the way, which was fed with 15 in the war, nearly drowned, and very ill came back. Frehsner had as a Boy, from the kitchen window, as a neighbor of a bomb and box thrown was hit. He could not look away, as there was in the gravel pit in the village of executions and the bodies were buried in the Sand, as his Cousin was shot and killed in the Laundry room due to alleged Desertierens. Frehsner, still a small child, put everything away, and so he does not understand it today, when people come to see because of this and that of a psychologist.

"Gently down the mountain slides": Frehsner sees its future in the skiing world. Image: Christian Pfander,

He was to the survival of artists, to the hard dog, the grinders. He practiced a long time with only one Finger at a climbing hook. "Because the Finger falls off fast," he says, but this Exercise should save his life, as he threatened when mountain climbing in Austria. Once he fell 60 feet in depth, as he thought, in the Fall, it was now with him and the world. 1961 Frehsner, ascended the Eiger North wall, it was only the 22. Commit in the history – at the same time, the Dead from the mountain were safe. As he with deep-sea divers, and other extreme athletes; he is convinced that performance, who can overcome. It doesn't hurt to fall in a swoon.

permanent guest at ETH Zurich

His approach is contrary to today's popular training methods. In the meantime, he could no longer practice as in the past, says Frehsner, because many drivers have hired private caregivers who wanted to take influence. Anyway, the coach-athlete had become-relation is more complicated, but ultimately it was the success of legitimising the methods of a coach.

"When I took over Austria's women's team, it was said, that couldn't possibly work," says Frehsner. In fact, there were tensions, the driver felt interior, prior to the start of the season exhausted. However, shortly after the onset of winter, they provided a podium to podium. Frehsner compares athletes with school children, who walk the path of least resistance, and for but required want to be. Even the grinder under grinders relies relating to the quantity limitations: Pirmin Zurbriggen and co. he forbade after lunch up to 16 at any activity, he severed in the Hotels, even the telephone line to the room.

He is one that went with the time. Austria's women, he sent in the interview rates in the Swiss ski Federation führteer Computer, wrote even simple programs. Early on, he dealt with the importance of the material development of the aerodynamics. For a time he was not enrolled as a Student at the ETH in Zurich – in order to acquire a diploma, but to visit all kinds of Lectures to expand his Knowledge.

His penchant for technology, he was able to live out during the three years as a driver-Trainer in the formula 1 Team Sauber. The Swiss team managed to Frehsner to tame Heinz-Harald Frentzen: "It was a sloppy genius with airs and graces, and I've drilled properly." The German clinched the first podium place for Sauber – he still counts as one of Frehsners circle of friends.

Karl is Charles

Between 2002 to 2004, supervised Frehsner, once again, the Swiss men, were to fall into the crisis. He promised at the home world Championships in St. Moritz, a medal win, in the event of a Nullers, he would have had hardly any wage. Frehsner kept his word, but he was not so challenging like in its heyday, a little tamed. Later, he advised Lara gut-Behrami, again and again, he has received mandates from Swiss-Ski, each was open to the public.

Since 1964, he has lived in Dietikon, with wife Rosmarie, he has been celebrated long since the Golden wedding. He is married also with the ski-world: In Wengen, he is to be found where the important people stay. Still he is asked for advice, even of those that once it escapes – for example, Franz Heinzer, now coach of the Swiss Europa Cup team. "He is a Fox that wants to get out for his boys every little advantage. But in old age he has become gentler and more comfortable."

From the iron Karl seems to be friendly to Charles.

Who is Karl Frehsner? The answer comes late in the evening: "A very normal man. With abnormal ideas." (Editorial Tamedia)

Created: 17.01.2019, 09:17 PM