MATT Mario (AUT) Web
09.04.1979 Flirsch-St.Anton
194cm / 88kg
Club: Skiklub Arlberg (Tirol) 　
SKI: Fischer
BOOTS: Nordica
BINDING: Fischer
Kitzbuhel00 SL/1st Madonna01 SL/1st
Kitzbuhel 2000 SL/ 1st Madonna di campiglio 01 SL/ 1st
Stanton WM01 SL/1st.pod Stanton WM01 SL/1st
St.Anton WM 01, SL/ 1st St.Anton WM 01, SL/ 1st
Lenzelheide 05 Final Slalom/ 1st
Are (SWE) World Championships Men's Slalom Gold
Matt 1stWin
Kitzbuhel 00 Podium		 World Cup Ranking
Genaral
2000/23rd, 2001/17th, 2002/29th, 2003/91st, 2004/23rd, 2005/29th, 2006/36th, 2007/5th,
Special
2000 SL/4th, 2001 SL/3rd, 2002 SL/8th, GS/37th. 2003 SL/35th. 2004 SL/6th.
2005 SL/6th. 2006 SL/16th, GS/23rd. 2007 SL/2nd, GS/25th, K/11th.
World Championships
2001 St.Anton SL/1st, K/2nd.
2003 St.Moritz SL/DNF.
2005 Bormio. K/11th, SL/DNF.
2007 Are. SL/1st
World Cup - 8 w. ( 6 SL, 2 K)
1. SL: Kitzbuhel 00, Schladming 00, Madonna di Campigrio 01,　Aspen 02-II,
Lenzerheide 05, Garmisch 07, Kranjska Gora 07,
K: Wengen 07(SC)
2. SL: Park City 01, Are 01, Kranjska Gora 02, Kitzbuhel 05, 07-I+II, Lenzerheide 07,
3. SL: Adelboden 00, Yong Pyong 2000, Wengen 01, Aspen 02-I, St.Anton 04,
Kranjska Gora 04, Adelboden 07, Schladming 07,
4. SL: Todtnau 00, Shigakogen 01-II, Adelboden 04, Beaver Crek 06,
5. SL: Flachau 05,
6. SL: Wengen 04, Kitzbuhel 04, Sestriere 04, Chamonix 05, Are 06,
7. SL: Shigakogen 01-I,
9. SL: Beaver Creek 05,
In an unprecedented win, little-known Mario Matt from Austria came from behind and won the prestigious Hahnenkamm slalom, amazing the top contenders and everyone involved in the World Cup "White Circus." This was only his third World Cup race. Starting from the 47th position, the 20-year-old skier from St. Anton am Arlberg won by nearly a second. He also became the first Austrian to capture a slalom this season.
"I knew that I was skiing well after winning some Europacup races," said Matt, "but Kitzbuhel is something else. After the first run, I remained cool and determined to try as hard as possible in the second run. It's the only way to progress."

A week ago, Mario Matt was fighting for his first place on a World Cup podium in Wengen when he skied out of the course in the second run. He was 17th in Chamonix, but felt ready for another good result in the demanding slalom at Kitzbuhel, watched by thousands of spectators. Despite several mistakes in his first run, including a sit-down on the course, Mario clocked the second fastest time, only 22/100 of a second behind his teammate Benjamin Raich.

In the second run, on a skied-out course, it was an even greater challenge to come through all the gates. Yet, he skied even faster. Apparently, it was easier for him to master all the bumps and ruts than for his main rivals, who are all used to a smoother course. Matt was himself amazed at his win.
"It's crazy, I can't believe it, no one can believe it," he shouted after the race. "I cannot yet understand what happened today. I would have been pleased with a 10th place."

The 6'5" skier is very striking, with his brightly colored hair and long legs. He has impressive form in the gates, where his legs bring him all over the place. More than once he seemed ready to crash out of the course, yet each time he saved himself at the last second.

For years, no racer could achieve a performance of this caliber with such a high start number. In December 1972, Italy's Piero Gros, Olympic Champion in 1976, won a slalom at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, with bib number 42, a week after having celebrated his first victory in a giant slalom at Val d'Isere with bib number 45. He was only 18 at that time.

Matt, a silver medalist in combined and slalom at junior World Championships, completed a successful week for the dominant Austrian men's team in Kitzbuhel after Hermann Maier and Fritz Strobl won the super G and the downhill, respectively. Norwegian Kjetil Andre Aamodt finished 1st in the combined, ahead of Sweden's Fredrik Nyberg and Maier.

It was also a good weekend for the French supplier of Salomon skis, which were used by both Strobl and Matt. Matt has been racing for several weeks now on his 1.76m skis. He began using these new, shorter carving skis long before many other slalom specialists and he had time to perfectly adjust his technique.
"I had an easier time than the others making the change to carvers. I did struggle a bit at the beginning but it was never really a problem," said Matt.
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