Hall of Famer
Kathy Kreiner-Phillips
Affiliated Discipline(s):
Alpine
Hometown:
Timmins, ON / Vancouver, BC
Active Career Period:
1971 - 1981
Induction CSHF:
1984
Induction Category:
Alpine
While she waited in the starting gate, ready to launch herself down the Giant Slalom course at the 1976 Olympic Winter Games at Innsbruck, Austria, Kathy Kreiner said to herself, “They don’t know it but I am going to win” (quoted by Danny Gallagher, Public Relations Director for Ontario Sports Legends Hall of Fame). And she did just that, defeating the prohibitive favorite, Rosi Mittermaier of Germany. She would be the only Canadian to win a Gold Medal at the 1976 Olympic Winter Games.
She was 7-years of age when she started her racing career at a small ski area in the northern Ontario mining town of Timmins. Seven years later she was named to the Canadian Women’s Alpine Ski Team winning her first World Cup Giant Slalom event at Pfronten, Germany in 1974. She would remain on the Women’s National team until 1980, competing in 62 World Cup races in Slalom, Giant Slalom and Downhill events and placing in the top ten on 22 occasions.
She competed at the National Championships on six occasions in 1975 and 1976 and again from 1978 to 1981, winning 5-Gold and 4-Silver Medals and in two Winter Olympic Games, at Innsbruck, Austria in 1976 and at Lake Placid, in 1980, where she had superb results in all the alpine disciplines, Downhill (5th place), Giant Slalom (9th place) and Slalom (15th place).
She was further honored in 1976 by being inducted into both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame and being named Ontario’s Athlete of the Year.
In her 10-years with the Canadian Women’s Alpine Team, which she joined in 1972 at the age of 14, Kathy Kreiner’s results in Downhill, Giant Slalom and Slalom confirm her extraordinary versatility, her skills arguably unmatched before or since by any other skiing athlete, Canadian or international.
Competition Highlights
1973
3rd place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Mt. Ayleska, Alaska, USA
1974
1st place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Pfronten, Germany
5th place, Slalom event, World Cup competition, Val d’Isere, France
6th place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Zell-am-See, Austria
7th place, Slalom event, World Cup competition, Les Diablerets, Switzerland
5th place, Slalom event, World Cup competition, Aspen, Colorado, USA
1975
1st place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
4th place, Giant Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
1st place, Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
9th place, Slalom event, World Cup competition, Cortina, Italy
4th place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Sun Valley,Idaho, USA
8th place, Downhill event, World Cup competition, Val d’Isere, France
1976
Gold Medal winner, Giant Slalom event, X Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck, Austria,
1st place, Giant Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
3rd place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Mont Ste-Anne, Quebec
9th place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland
1977
2nd place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Arosa, Switzerland
10th place, Downhill event, World Cup competition, Pfronten, Germany
9th place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Val d’Isere, France
8th place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Les Mosses, Switzerland
5th place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, San Sicario, Italy
9th place, Slalom event, World Cup competition, Cormayeur, Italy
1978
1st place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
1st place, Giant Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
10th place, Downhill event, World Cup competition, Pfronten, Germany
8th place, Downhill competition, World Cup competition, Pfronten, Germany
1979
4th place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
1st place, Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
1980
5th place, Downhill event, Xl Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid, New York, USA
9th place, Giant Slalom event, Xl Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid, NY, USA
7th place, Giant Slalom event, World Cup competition, Waterville Valley, USA
2nd place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
2nd place, Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
2nd place, Downhill event, World Cup competition, Val d’Isere, France
7th place, Downhill event, World Cup competition, Megeve, France
1981
2nd place, Giant Slalom event, Canadian National Championships
2nd place, Downhill event, Canadian National Championships
2nd place, Downhill event, Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS) competition
Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments.
Copyright © 2021, Canadian Ski Museum. For Personal/Educational use only. All Rights Reserved.
Kathy Kreiner. CSHFM Collection.
Kathy Kreiner. 2021 Canadian Olympic Committee.
Pontiac Cup Final at Bromont, QC. Denise Creighton and Diane Pratte accepting the Pontiac Cup as Nancy Greene (far left), Kathy Kreiner (2nd from right) and Lucile Wheeler (far right) look on. c. 1970s. Alpine Canada Alpin.
World Cup event (giant slalom) at Mt. St. Anne, QC, March 19, 1976. 1st – Monika Kaserer 2nd – Fabienne Senat 3rd – Kathy Kreiner (right). Alpine Canada Alpin.
1972 Canadian Olympic Women’s Alpine Ski Team [L to R]: Peter Franzen (coach), Judy Crawford, Laurie Kreiner, Dianne Pratte, Kathy Kreiner. Michael Burns Photography.
Kathy Kreiner donating skis (used at 1976 Innsbruck Olympic Winter Games to win gold medal in giant slalom) to Arnold Midgley, Director of the Canadian Ski Museum. CSHFM Collection.
Canadian Olympic Alpine Ski team at 1976 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria [L to R]: Jim Hunter, Jane Helder (physiotherapist), Kathy Kreiner, Andrzej Kozbial (alpine program director), Laurie Kreiner, Ken Read, Betsy Clifford, Dave Murray, Scott Henderson (head coach-men), Wayne Gruden (coach), Luc Dubois (manager), Robert Safrata, Lynden McIntosh (coach), Dr. Bernie Lalonde (head coach-women). Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team c. 1970 [L to R]: Kathy Kreiner, Karen Cloutier, Betsy Clifford, Laurie Kreiner, Susan Clifford. Canadian Ski Association / Alpine Office / Lolly Moss.
National Alpine Ski Team 1971-72 [top row]: Doug Woodcock, Betsy Clifford, Judy Crawford, Kathy Kreiner, Diane Culver, Laurie Kreiner, Carolyn Oughton, Diane Pratte, Virginia Honeyman, Russel Goodman [middle row]: Luc Dubois (coach), Don Lyon (coach), Robert Butler (coach), Al Raine (Alpine Program Director) [bottom row]: Peter Bellos, Aidan Ballantyne, Jim Hunter, Rick Hunter, Doug Temple, Mike Culver, Derek Robbins, Reto Barrington, Paul Carson. D. Richard Houlding Photography, Toronto.
National Alpine Ski Team 1971-72 [top row]: Al Raine (Alpine Program Director), Diane Pratte, Diane Culver, Judy Crawford, Robert Butler (coach) [bottom row]: Betsy Clifford, Laurie Kreiner. Rene Korot for St-Tropez Enrg., St Leonard.
National Alpine Ski Team – October 1972 in Stelvio, Italy [L to R]: Carolyn Oughton, Virginian Honeyman, Kathy Kreiner, ?, Laurie Kreiner, Karen Cloutier, Diana Gibson, ?, Judy Crawford, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Mike Culver, ?, ?, Russell Goodman, ?, ?, Peter Ballos, ?, ?, ?, Jim Hunter, ?, ?, ?, ?. Alpine Canada Alpin.
Women’s National Alpine Ski Team 1972 Val d’Isère [L to R]: Laurie Kreiner, Kathy Kreiner, Judy Crawford. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1976 at Montreal Ski Show [back row]: Jean Beaulieu, Ken Read, Dave Irwin, Jim Hunter, Karen Cloutier, Jeanette Zanier, Dave Murray, Bernie Lalonde (coach) [front row]: Germain Barrette, Yvon Blackburn, Kathy Kreiner, Susan Clifford, Steve Podborski, Scott Henderson (Coach). Alpine Canada Alpin.
Women’s National Alpine Ski Team 1978-79 [L to R]:Gustave Chable (coach), Martine Lesieur, Kathy Kreiner, Marie Dufresne, Ann Blackburn, Laurie Graham, Loni Klettl, Dianne Lehodey, Currie Chapman (coach). Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1978-79 [back row]: Vanita Haining?, Jean Bealieu, ?, Peter Monod?, ?, Germain Barrette, Robert Safrata, Bernie Lalonde (coach) [front row]: ?, Marie Dufresne?, Laurie Graham, Ann Blackburn?, Kathy Kreiner. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team c. 1979 [top row]: Ken Read, Steve Podborski, Dave Irwin, Dave Murray [bottom row]: Kathy Kreiner, Laurie Graham, Loni Klettl. Studio Impact.
Gault Gillespie (left) with Canadian Ski Museum Chair, Bill Tindale, and Kathy Kreiner at 1987 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Photo A. Irwin
Kathy Kreiner, Ernie McCullogh, and Linda Crutchfield at 1984 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. CSHFM Collection.
Kathy Kreiner at 1984 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. CSHFM Collection.
Canada Vignettes - Skier | Kathy Kreiner | National Film Board Fan
This vignette about skiier Kathy Kreiner leads up to and includes her Olympic Gold medal race at Innsbruck.
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