Downhill Racer

Downhill Racer is a 1969 American drama film the directorial debut of Michael Ritchie and starring Robert Redford, Gene Hackman and Camilla Sparv. Written by James Salter, based on the 1963 novel The Downhill Racers by Oakley Hall, the film is about a talented downhill skier who joins the United States ski team in Europe to compete in international skiing competitions. His drive to become a champion and his success on the slopes alienate his coach and teammates. After a second successful year of races, he wins the gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble.

American downhill skier David Chappellet Robert Redford arrives in Wengen, Switzerland to join the United States ski team, along with fellow newcomer D. K. Bryan Kenneth Kirk. Both men were sent for by team coach Eugene Claire Gene Hackman to replace one of his top skiers who was recently injured during an FIS competition. Raised in the small town of Idaho Springs, Colorado, Chappellet is a loner with a singleminded focus on becoming a skiing champion, and shows little interest in being a team player. After refusing to race at the Lauberhorn because of a late starting position, he makes his European skiing debut at the ArlbergKandahar in Austria, where he finishes in an impressive fourth position. In the final race of the season at the HahnenkammRennen in Kitzbhel, Austria, he crashes.That summer, Chappellet joins the team in Oregon for offseason training. He visits his father at his home in Idaho Springs, but they have little to say to each other. Chappellet drives into town and picks up an old girlfriend and they make love in the back seat of his fathers old Chevrolet. Afterwards, he shows little interest in the girls feelings. Later, when his father asks him why he is wasting his life on skiing, Chappellet reveals that he is racing as an amateur to become an Olympic champion. His father observes, The worlds full of em. ........

Source: Wikipedia