Marie-Theres Nadig first gained attention as an alpine skier by winning the giant slalom event at the Swiss Junior National Championships in 1970. She made her World Cup debut, sixth in the downhill, the following year and had her first podium finish, second in the downhill, less than one month prior to the 1972 Winter Olympics. Despite being a virtual unknown, she defeated favorite Annemarie Moser-Pröll of Austria in the downhill and the giant slalom to capture two gold medals, causing a major upset and earning herself the title of Swiss Sportswoman of the Year. She also participated in, but failed to complete, the slalom.
Nadig did not see the top of the podium again at a major international event until 1975, when she won two downhill events during that year’s World Cup season. Along the way she also finished fifth in the event at the 1974 World Championships. Her next major stop was the 1976 Winter Olympics, but she failed to defend either of her crowns, coming in fifth in the downhill and not even starting in the giant slalom. Once again she also entered, but did not complete, the slalom. She earned one World Cup victory in the downhill and the combined in 1977, as well as one in the giant slalom in 1978, but 1979-1980 was her banner season: between March 1979 and the 1980 Winter Olympics, she competed in 14 World Cup events and never once failed to reach the podium. This incredible run earned her nine victories but, at the 1980 Games, she only managed one medal, bronze in the downhill. She also competed in the giant slalom and the slalom, but failed to finish either.
Nadig continued winning World Cup events through her July 1981 retirement, earning a total of 63 podium finishes, 28 of which were victories across the giant slalom, downhill, and combined events. During her career she had operated a sports store in Switzerland and began running it full time after bowing out of active competition. She soon added a hotel to her business, as well as a ski school, and eventually took up coaching and training. She became a coach with the Swiss national “A” team in 1999 and its head coach in 2004, but a poor season led to her release from this position one year later.
Switzerland