Going For Gold In Old Garmisch

It will be about the biggest thing to hit town since 1936 when 1,600 athletes and 50,000 spectators whooped it up at the Winter Olympics. Having had a taste of glory, little Garmisch went on to become a major winter resort and now, forty-two years later, its gingerbread architecture supplemented by such modern touches as a McDonald's, the village will host another major winter sports event, the 22nd FIS World Ski Championships. Skiing has become more specialized over the years (in the '36 Games, the downhill winner also won the ski jump), but the rush for gold in the Bavarian Alps next week will be as vigorous as ever. On the following pages is a handicapper's guide to who's who in ski racing—and who might win the medals.

The whiskers and size (5'4") are camouflage: Sneaky fast Heini Hemmi of Switzerland wins giant slaloms when least expected, as he did at Innsbruck—and hopes to do again.

Seventeen-year-old Perrine Pelen of France is considered a rising threat to pull off an upset in the slalom competition.

The overall World Cup champion, Lise-Marie Morerod of Switzerland should dominate the slalom and may take the giant slalom as well.

Heaviest favorite of all is Ingemar Stenmark (right), the Swedish wonder who has been out of the top three only twice in 26 World Cup slaloms.

An all-events man in a world of racing specialists, Klaus Heidegger of Austria is a 20-year-old charger who could surprise any number of oldtimers.

Star of the downhill show at Innsbruck, Franz Klammer says that he'll retire after the FIS meet—with another gold medal.

Austria's veteran Annemarie Moser-Proell, 24, says she "still has the old fire" and that should be enough to burn the downhill field.

Steadily improving Phil Mahre is considered the best U.S. hope for a medal and will make a run for it in both slalom and giant slalom.