Austrian sports stars
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1. Bruno and the Austrian all-stars
Getty ImagesAs Sacha Baron Cohen's "Bruno" hits theaters and assaults sensitivities, take a look through our gallery of some other great athletic achievements from Bruno's homeland, Austria. Danke schon. -
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesAlthough his bodybuilding career admittedly got a boost from steroids, Arnold Schwarzenegger had to have some physical gifts to become Mr. Universe 1969 and Mr. Olympia seven times before moving to acting and politics. -
3. Thomas Vanek
Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesBuffalo Sabres left winger Thomas Vanek, 25, is a two-time 40-goal scorer and has 260 points in 318 games through four seasons in the NHL. -
4. Kate Allen
Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty ImagesWe know better than to look for kangaroos in Salzburg, so we're not mistaking countries. Kate Allen was born and raised in Australia, married an Austrian, received Austrian citizenship in 2002 and won gold in the triathlon at the 2004 Athens Olympics. -
5. Hans-Peter Steinacher, Roman Hagara
Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty ImagesRoman Hagara, right, and Hans-Peter Steinacher won sailing gold medals in the Tornado class at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics (shown here). Pretty good for sailors from a landlocked country. -
6. Toni Polster
Peter Schatz/Bongarts/Getty ImagesToni Polster scored 307 goals in 546 games as a professional and earned 95 caps while becoming Austria's all-time leader with 44 goals in international soccer competition. -
7. Red Bull and adrenaline sports
Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesRed Bull Energy Drink launched in Austria in 1987, leading to its association with various adrenaline sports, extreme sports and motorsports. The health care industry thanks you, as do we for popularizing the ollie, nac-nac and nosegrind, to name a few. -
8. Bruno
Frank Micelotta/Getty ImagesBruno might have had a Red Bull to give him wings before landing on Eminem at the MTV Movie Awards. From college wrestlers on spring break to Alabama football, Bruno's love of sports can be found on YouTube. Now he gives MMA similar treatment on film. -
9. Toni Sailer
STAFF/AFP/Getty ImagesToni Sailer won the downhill, slalom and giant slalom events at the 1956 Cortina Olympics, becoming the first to win all three alpine skiing events. The "Blitz from Kitz" also won golds in the downhill, GS and combined at the 1958 world championships. -
10. Annemarie Moser-Proell
xAnnemarie Moser-Proell won gold in the downhill at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics and silvers in the downhill and giant slalom at Sapporo in 1972. She also captured world championships gold in the combined in '72 and '78 and downhill in '74 and '78. -
11. Franz Klammer
Staff/AFP/Getty ImagesFranz Klammer, left, won gold in the combined at the 1974 world championships, but his gold at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics is still one of the greatest downhill runs of all time. -
12. Hermann Maier
Shaun Botterill /AllsportSurprise, surprise, another skier. Hermann Maier won golds in the super G and giant slalom at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and world championship golds in in the 1999 downhill, 1999 super G and 2005 GS to go with four overall World Cup titles. -
13. Thomas Muster
Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty ImagesThomas Muster won the 1995 French Open to live up to his "King of Clay" nickname. He earned 44 career titles and reached No. 1 in the world tennis rankings in 1996. -
14. Niki Lauda
Allsport UK/AllsportAfter winning the 1975 Formula One championship with Ferrari, Niki Lauda was severely burned in a 1976 crash in Germany but came back to win his second F1 title in 1977. The racing legend, who won 25 times, added his third crown in 1984 for McLaren. -
15. Toni Fritsch
George Gojkovich/Getty ImagesTom Landry found Austrian soccer player Toni Fritsch in Vienna in 1971 while looking for possible place-kickers. Fritsch moved to the U.S. and helped the Cowboys win the 1972 Super Bowl before later playing for the Chargers, Oilers and Saints. -
16. Maria from 'The Sound of Music'
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesJulie Andrews' character, Maria Augusta von Kutschera, in "The Sound of Music" can match any Austrian athletic achievement. Just try to "Climb Evr'y Mountain" and hike across the Alps alongside seven bratty Von Trapp kids with the Nazis on your tail.
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