# Vreni Schneider

Verena "Vreni" Schneider (born 26 November 1964) is a retired ski racer from Switzerland. She is the most successful alpine ski racer of her country, the fourth most successful female ski racer ever (after Lindsey Vonn, Annemarie Moser-Pröll and Mikaela Shiffrin) and was voted "Swiss Sportswoman of the Century".

## Early life

Schneider was born in Elm, the daughter of a shoemaker. Her mother died of cancer when Schneider was a teenager: as a result she put her ski career on hold and dropped out of school to look after the family home.

## Racing career

Schneider made her World Cup debut at the age of 20. Schneider won the overall alpine skiing World Cup three times and eleven discipline World Cups in Slalom and Giant slalom, along with 55 World Cup races (number four all-time among women to Moser-Pröll, Vonn and Shiffrin). She also won five medals at the Winter Olympics including 3 golds (Slalom and giant slalom at Calgary in 1988 and Slalom at Lillehammer in 1994), and six medals at the World Championships including 3 more golds (Giant slalom at Crans-Montana in 1987 and Vail in 1989; Slalom at Saalbach in 1991).
During the 1988–89 season she won 14 World Cup races, a record for single season wins that stood until Shiffrin beat that record in the 2018–19 season.
In April 1995, after eleven successful seasons, she announced her retirement. Today she runs a ski and snowboard school in her home village of Elm as well as a sport equipment shop in Glarus.
Vreni Schneider is praised in the Half Man Half Biscuit song 'Uffington Wassail' thus: "Vreni Schneider – you’re my downhill lady! Vreni Schneider – you’re the queen of the slopes!" The song is on the album Trouble Over Bridgwater from the year 2000.

## World Cup results
### Season titles

* 14 titles – (3 overall, 6 Slalom, 5 Giant slalom)
| Season |
| Season | Discipline |
| 1986 | Giant slalom |
| 1987 | Giant slalom |
| 1989 | Overall |
| 1989 | Slalom |
| 1989 | Giant slalom |
| 1990 | Slalom |
| 1991 | Giant slalom |
| 1992 | Slalom |
| 1993 | Slalom |
| 1994 | Overall |
| 1994 | Slalom |
| 1995 | Overall |
| 1995 | Slalom |
| 1995 | Giant slalom |

### Season standings

| Season |
| Season | Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
| 1985 | 20 | 9 | 22 | 3 | — | — | 17 |
| 1986 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 14 | — | 5 |
| 1987 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 2 |
| 1988 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 22 | — | 5 |
| 1989 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | — | 3 |
| 1990 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 25 | — | — |
| 1991 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 5 |
| 1995 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 23 | 2 |

### Race victories

| | Total | Slalom | Giant slalom | Downhill | Super-G | Combined | Parallel |
| Wins | 55 | 34 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Podiums | 101 | 47 | 46 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Season |
| Season | Date | Location | Discipline |
| 1985 2 victories (2 GS) | 17 December 1984 | Santa Caterina, Italy | Giant slalom |
| 1985 2 victories (2 GS) | 17 March 1985 | Waterville Valley, USA | Giant slalom |
| 1986 3 victories (3 GS) | 6 January 1986 | Maribor, Yugoslavia | Giant slalom |
| 1986 3 victories (3 GS) | 19 January 1986 | Oberstaufen, Germany | Giant slalom |
| 1986 3 victories (3 GS) | 20 March 1986 | Waterville Valley, USA | Giant slalom |
| 1987 6 victories (2 SL, 4 GS) | 6 December 1986 | Waterville Valley, USA | Giant slalom |
| 1987 6 victories (2 SL, 4 GS) | 17 December 1986 | Courmayeur, Italy | Slalom |
| 1987 6 victories (2 SL, 4 GS) | 5 January 1987 | Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria | Giant slalom |
| 1987 6 victories (2 SL, 4 GS) | 13 February 1987 | Megève, France | Giant slalom |
| 1987 6 victories (2 SL, 4 GS) | 14 February 1987 | Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France | Slalom |
| 1987 6 victories (2 SL, 4 GS) | 22 March 1987 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | Giant slalom |
| 1988 2 victories (1 SL, 1 GS) | 5 January 1988 | Tignes, France | Giant slalom |
| 1988 2 victories (1 SL, 1 GS) | 24 January 1988 | Bad Gastein, Austria | Slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 28 November 1988 | Les Menuires, France | Giant slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 16 December 1988 | Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria | Slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 16 December 1988 | Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria | Combined |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 18 December 1988 | Val Zoldana, Italy | Giant slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 20 December 1988 | Courmayeur, Italy | Slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 3 January 1989 | Maribor, Yugoslavia | Slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 6 January 1989 | Schwarzenberg, Austria | Giant slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 7 January 1989 | Schwarzenberg, Austria | Giant slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 8 January 1989 | Mellau, Austria | Slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 15 January 1989 | Grindelwald, Switzerland | Slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 21 January 1989 | Tignes, France | Giant slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 3 March 1989 | Furano, Japan | Slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 8 March 1989 | Shigakogen, Japan | Giant slalom |
| 1989 14 victories (7 SL, 6 GS, 1 AC) | 10 March 1989 | Shigakogen, Japan | Slalom |
| 1990 5 victories (5 SL) | 25 November 1989 | Park City, USA | Slalom |
| 1990 5 victories (5 SL) | 6 January 1990 | Piancavallo, Italy | Slalom |
| 1990 5 victories (5 SL) | 9 January 1990 | Hinterstoder, Austria | Slalom |
| 1990 5 victories (5 SL) | 21 January 1990 | Maribor, Yugoslavia | Slalom |
| 1990 5 victories (5 SL) | 18 March 1990 | Åre, Sweden | Slalom |
| 1991 3 victories (1 SL, 2 GS) | 11 January 1991 | Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia | Giant slalom |
| 1991 3 victories (1 SL, 2 GS) | 11 March 1991 | Lake Louise, Canada | Slalom |
| 1991 3 victories (1 SL, 2 GS) | 17 March 1991 | Vail, USA | Giant slalom |
| 1992 5 victories (3 SL, 2 GS) | 30 November 1991 | Lech, Austria | Slalom |
| 1992 5 victories (3 SL, 2 GS) | 8 December 1991 | Santa Caterina, Italy | Giant slalom |
| 1992 5 victories (3 SL, 2 GS) | 5 January 1992 | Oberstaufen, Germany | Giant slalom |
| 1992 5 victories (3 SL, 2 GS) | 18 January 1992 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom |
| 1992 5 victories (3 SL, 2 GS) | 29 February 1992 | Narvik, Norway | Slalom |
| 1993 4 victories (4 SL) | 6 January 1993 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom |
| 1993 4 victories (4 SL) | 17 January 1993 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Slalom |
| 1993 4 victories (4 SL) | 19 March 1993 | Vemdalen, Sweden | Slalom |
| 1993 4 victories (4 SL) | 28 March 1993 | Åre, Sweden | Slalom |
| 1994 7 victories (7 SL) | 28 November 1993 | Santa Caterina, Italy | Slalom |
| 1994 7 victories (7 SL) | 19 December 1993 | St. Anton, Austria | Slalom |
| 1994 7 victories (7 SL) | 9 January 1994 | Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria | Slalom |
| 1994 7 victories (7 SL) | 23 January 1994 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom |
| 1994 7 victories (7 SL) | 5 February 1994 | Sierra Nevada, Spain | Slalom |
| 1994 7 victories (7 SL) | 10 March 1994 | Mammoth Mountain, USA | Slalom |
| 1994 7 victories (7 SL) | 20 March 1994 | Vail, USA | Slalom |
| 1995 4 victories (4 SL) | 27 November 1994 | Park City, USA | Slalom |
| 1995 4 victories (4 SL) | 18 December 1994 | Sestriere, Italy | Slalom |
| 1995 4 victories (4 SL) | 26 February 1995 | Maribor, Slovenia | Slalom |
| 1995 4 victories (4 SL) | 19 March 1995 | Bormio, Italy | Slalom |

## World Championship results

| Year |
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team Event |
| 1985 | 20 | — | 12 | — | — | — | — |
| 1987 | 22 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 4 | — |
| 1989 | 24 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — |
| 1991 | 26 | 1 | 7 | — | — | 3 | — |

## Olympic results

| Year |
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined | Team Event |
| 1988 | 23 | 1 | 1 | — | — | DNF2 | — |
| 1992 | 27 | 7 | DNF1 | — | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 29 | 1 | 3 | — | 33 | 2 | — |