Don't look now but 25 year old Renate Goetschl of Austria is on track to become one of the most successful skiers on the Austrian team since the legendary Annemarie Moser-Proell and Petra Kronberger, who dominated the "White Circus" in the 1970's and the early 1990's.

During the 1999/2000 winter, Goetschl talent and experience came together in a perfect symbiotic confluence as she blew away the competition to win her first Overall World Cup title. It came after a titanic battle against her teammate Michaela Dorfmeister and France's Régine Cavagnoud. Renate became the only the 6th Austrian to achieve this lofty position since 1967.

Goetschl has always been known as an excellent "big competition" racer on the women's World Cup circuit. She was just 17 years old and when she stunned the alpine skiing world by winning a World Cup slalom in Hajfell, Norway, in 1993, one of the test events for the '94 Olympics. As is often the case, Renate had to come from the "back of the pack" with a high start number (#42), making the accomplishment even greater. On top of that, it was her first ever World Cup appearance. One year later Goetschl proved she could race downhill, too, finishing second at St. Anton, Austria where she won the combined title. The brawny Austrian went on solidify her position as a top speed skier by winning a Super G in '95, but it would be almost two full seasons before she would reach the top of the summit again.

Goetschl's world cup experience and all-around training helped her win the combined World Championship title in Sestriere, Italy in 1997, the only Austrian to clinch a gold medal in Italy. At the end of that season Renate surprised everyone but herself by taking the downhill World Cup title, defeating Warwara Zelenskaja (Russia), Heidi Zurbriggen (Switzerland) and Katja Seizinger (Germany) in a hard fought race at the World Cup finals in Vail, Colorado. In the process she set another national record: no Austrian had won that crown since the great Annemarie Moser-Proell close to two decades before. Goetschl had high hopes as the 1998 Nagano Olympics approached. She was the favorite and had the fastest intermediate time in the Super G. A gold medal seemed assured if she could just ski smoothly to the bottom. But a small mistake just before the finish line cost her a place on the podium. Renate's problems went from bad to worse when she skied out in the downhill competition.

Goetschl earned some hard lessons on those Japanese slopes and it helped her be more focused and determined than ever during the 1998/ 1999 season. At the Vail World Championships, she won the downhill gold medal and added two silver medals in Super-G and combined. Renate was so strong in the World Cup downhill standings ,thanks to four victories, she couldn't be caught and picked up her second speed title. She also added a Super-G race victory to her long list of accomplishments that season.

Always a very aggressive racer on course, Goetschl also shined in the technical events. During the 1999/2000 season, she struggled in downhill at the beginning of the season, but clocked fast times in slalom and GS. Unfortunately, Renate often skied out as a result of her go-for-broke style.

Goetschl's crystal globe, symbolic of her world cup crown, is richly deserved after six victories and several top-10 finish in all specialties including a win in combined at Santa Caterina, Italy.

Renate graduated from the Schladming Ski School in '93. She lives south of Salzburg on the family farm in the village of Obdach, near Altenmark, where she likes to ride her motorbike in the summer. She probably wins those races too.