I have long been told, by Ulli, that Absam (in Austria) is the village of the Olympians, that it has more Olympic medal winners and Olympic medals than anywhere in the world. Today when the Linger brothers (Andreas and Wolfgang) won silver in the men’s doubles luge in Sotchi, I tweeted:
http://t.co/YSvcmbVZn2 it has been slow coming but Absam (village of the Olympians) has got it's 1st medal… 😉
— Kim Harding (@kim_harding) February 12, 2014
Which I followed up with:
For those who didn't understand the last tweet, the village of Absam, in Austria, has more Olympic medal holder than any other settlement…
— Kim Harding (@kim_harding) February 12, 2014
This was then challenged by @Ojars_E_Kalnins from Latvia:
Very possible that per capita, the Latvian city of Sigulda has more Olympic medal winners than any other city in the world.
— Oj?rs ?riks Kalni?š (@Ojars_E_Kalnins) February 12, 2014
Absam
Then:
@Nauris_L @kim_harding Sounds like a healthy rivalry, may the slipperiest devils win!
— Oj?rs ?riks Kalni?š (@Ojars_E_Kalnins) February 12, 2014
The challenge laid down, now all I had to do was work out just how many Olympic medal winners there are and how many Olympic medals these Absamers have actually won.
Name | Discipline | Games (year) | Medal |
---|---|---|---|
Andreas Linger | men’s doubles luge | Sotchi (2014) | Silver |
Wolfgang Linger | men’s doubles luge | Sotchi (2014) | Silver |
Christoph Bieler | Nordic combined team | Sotchi (2014) | Bronze |
Andreas Linger | men’s doubles luge | Vancouver (2010) | Gold |
Wolfgang Linger | men’s doubles luge | Vancouver (2010) | Gold |
Andreas Linger | men’s doubles luge | Turin (2006) | Gold |
Wolfgang Linger | men’s doubles luge | Turin (2006) | Gold |
Christoph Bieler | Nordic combined team | Turin (2006) | Gold |
Christoph Bieler | Nordic combined team | Salt Lake City (2002) | Bronze |
Ernst Vettori | ski jumping individual | Albertville (1992) | Gold |
Ernst Vettori | ski jumping team | Albertville (1992) | Silver |
Andreas Felder | ski jumping team | Albertville (1992) | Silver |
Olga Pall | women's downhill skiing | Grenoble (1968) | Gold |
Josef Feistmantl | men’s doubles luge | Innsbruck (1964) | Gold |
This works out as seven people with 14 medals between them, all this from a village of less than 7,000 people. Or to put it another way, that works out at one medal for every 479 people!
Just remember, this could yet change, the Sochi Games ain’t over yet!
Addendum: It has been pointed out to me that Olympians are all people who compete in the Olympics, not just those who win medals. This would mean that I need to up the count as there are Olympics competitors from Absam who have (yet) won an Olympics medal, such as Georg Fischler. Really I should change the title of the post, or find the missing athletes, but not tonight.
Thursday, 13th, February 2014 at 17:55
I offer my deepest respect to the Olympians of Absam, for their achievements are indeed noteworthy. Our modest Latvian city of Sigulda is a new kid on the Olympian block compared to Absam, but just added another bronze. Perhaps Absam and Sigulda should consider becoming sister (brother?) cities! Even our flags are similar.