Malcolm Milne 1973

Malcolm Milne

Malcolm joined the Myrtleford Ski Club in 1961 and was initially coached by the older, experienced racers of the club including John Robertson and Dick Walpole then by Sigi Haberzettl who was the chief coach at Falls Creek for 17 years.

Malcolm competed with distinction for the club in several N.E.D.S.A championships and the improvement in his skiing was quite dramatic.  In 1963 he went to Japan and in 1964 he starred at the National Junior Championships.  In 1965 he was a member of the Australian team which competed in the Inter-dominion Championships in New Zealand.  The following year (at the age of 17) he went to Europe to train with the French skiers at Val D’Isere and then competed on the European circuit.  In 1966 he represented Australia at Portillo and later became the first Australian to qualify for the gruelling Lauberhaun race in 1967.  This culminated in his selection in the 1968 Winter Olympic team to compete at Grenoble.  He finished 24th in both the downhill and the slalom events, the best results ever recorded by an Australian skier and carried the Australian flag in the Opening Ceremony

In December 1969, Malcolm became the first Australian skier to win a World Cup victory when he won the downhill in Val-d'Isère. Three months later, he captured the bronze medal at Gröden-Val Gardena. His World Cup victory at Val d'Isère also made him the first non-European to win a men's World Cup downhill event.

Milne later joined a French team in Europe, and in the winter of 1971-72 won a World Cup race at Val-d'Isère, France, then won a United States title race at Bear Valley, California; he also finished third in a World Championships.

Malcolm was selected for the 1972 Winter Olympics held in Sapporo, but suffered a cartilage injury to his left knee which threatened to cause him to withdraw.  He didn’t withdraw, and recovered superbly from a near fall which cost him any chance of a place.

In 2000, he received the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to skiing. He was nominated in the first lot of inductees at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

In 2004 Ski & Snowboard Australia elected Milne a life member for the contribution he has made to the sport by becoming the first World Cup medal winner in Australian winter sports history, and the subsequent impact his performances have had on future athletes.