Downhill Racer is a 1969 film and the first to be directed by Michael Ritchie. A drama about ski racing, it stars Robert Redford and Gene Hackman. Dave Chappelet is a self-centered, ambitious ski racer from Idaho Springs, Colorado with an outside chance of making the U.S. Olympic team. He joins the team in mid-season in Europe, and immediately clashes with the team's head coach, Eugene Claire, as well as the more experienced teammates. The ego-driven Chappelet complains about his assigned race positions and shows little interest in team success or morale. After a couple of strong downhill... performances that make him a rising contender, a ski equipment manufacturer begins to seek Chappelet's endorsement and his assistant Carole takes a romantic interest in him, which may or may not be sincere. Chappelet becomes the U.S. team's best hope after top downhiller Johnny Creech is injured in a pre-Olympic race. Claire doesn't like counting on Chappelet, but a great deal is at stake and Chappelet delivers the race of his life winning the gold medal at the Olympics. The assistant coach of the U.S. Ski team is played by Dabney Coleman and Swedish actress Camilla Sparv plays the love interest.
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| Release date: | 1969 |
| Directed by: | Michael Ritchie |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 101 Minutes |
| Music by: | Georges Delerue |