Marielle Goitschel (Sainte-Maxime, September, 28 1945) is a French former Alpine skier. Marielle is the younger sister of Christine Goitschel, another Olympic champion skier of the time.
She won her first gold medal in the Combined event at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1962 held in Chamonix.
The Goitschel sisters, Christine and Marielle from Val-d’Isère, both lined up in the women’s Olympic Slalom at Innsbruck 1964, held on February 1 at Axamer Lizum, with Marielle kicking off the competition. Producing an explosive run on the 51-gate course, eighteen-year-old Marielle Goitschel stopped the clock in 43.09, a time that would go unbeaten, with sister Christine, who went out 14th, the only other skier to dip below the 44-second mark with a time of 43.85.
In the second run, it was Christine’s turn to outpace the field, negotiating the 56-gate course a second and a half faster than Marielle to claim the gold and complete the very first one-two by sisters in Winter Games history.
Two days later, Marielle got her revenge and finished ahead of her big sister in the Giant Slalom. In a one-run race, Christine posted a time of 1:53.11, which was later equaled by Saubert. The two were still out front when Marielle, starting 14th, flew down the 56-gate course in 1:52.24 to snatch the title from her sister and Saubert, completing a remarkable double for the French siblings, a feat unique in the history of the Winter Games.
She also won the world title in the Combined, then a "paper" race, -the world champion in the combined was determined "on paper" by the results of the three races of Downhill, Giant Slalom, and Slalom-, but awarded with medals by the International Ski Federation (FIS).
After great success in the 1962 World Championships and 1964 Winter Olympics, winning 5 medals including 3 golds, Goitschel was considered the world's best female skier. She continued her domination at the 1966 World Championships in Portillo, Chile, winning medals in all 4 events, with 3 golds and one silver.
She won her final gold medal in slalom at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, and then retired from ski racing after that season. Goitschel's total of 11 World Championships medals in alpine skiing is third all-time among women to the 15 won by Christl Cranz of Germany and 14 by Mikaela Shiffrin.
Olympic Winter Games Starts: 6
Olympic Winter Games Medals: 3
Olympic Winter Games Victories: 2
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Starts: 14
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Podiums: 11
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Victories: 7
FIS World Cup Starts: 28
FIS World Cup Podiums: 16
FIS World Cup Victories: 7
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