Alpine Skiing at the 1960 Winter Games: Previous Winter Games ▪ Next Winter Games
Host City: Squaw Valley, United States
Venue(s): KT-22, Squaw Valley, California
Date Started: February 20, 1960
Date Finished: February 20, 1960
| Gold: | Heidi Biebl |
| Silver: | Penny Pitou |
| Bronze: | Traudl Hecher |
After snow postponed the men's downhill, the women's downhill was the first Alpine event of the 1960 Winter Olympics. The favorite should have been Canada's Lucille Wheeler, bronze medalist in 1956, who had won the downhill and giant slalom at the 1958 World Championships, but she was injured and could not compete in Squaw. The first skier to come down Little Papoose Peak was American Penny Pitou, who had competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics. As six further skiers finished, Pitou's time of 1:38.6 was obviously an impressive one, and held the lead until Germany's Heidi Biebl finished in 1:37.6. Biebl's time was never challenged, earning her the gold medal. Pitou would later win another silver in the giant slalom. Returning to her native New Hampshire she later became director of the largest travel agency in the state.
| Rank | Athlete | Age | Team | NOC | Medal | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heidi Biebl | 19 | Germany | GER | Gold | 1:37.6 | |
| 2 | Penny Pitou | 21 | United States | USA | Silver | 1:38.6 | |
| 3 | Traudl Hecher | 16 | Austria | AUT | Bronze | 1:38.9 | |
| 4 | Pia Riva | 24 | Italy | ITA | 1:39.9 | ||
| 5 | Jerta Schir | 21 | Italy | ITA | 1:40.5 | ||
| 6 | Anneliese Meggl | 21 | Germany | GER | 1:40.8 | ||
| 7 | Sonja Sperl | 23 | Germany | GER | 1:41.0 | ||
| 8 | Erika Netzer | 22 | Austria | AUT | 1:41.1 | ||
| 9T | Yvonne Rüegg | 28 | Switzerland | SUI | 1:41.6 | ||
| 9T | Carla Marchelli | 24 | Italy | ITA | 1:41.6 | ||
| 11 | Barbi Henneberger | 19 | Germany | GER | 1:42.4 | ||
| 12T | Anne Heggtveit | 21 | Canada | CAN | 1:42.9 | ||
| 12T | Marit Haraldsen | 20 | Norway | NOR | 1:42.9 | ||
| 14T | Thérèse Leduc | 26 | France | FRA | 1:44.2 | ||
| 14T | Jolanda Schir | 17 | Italy | ITA | 1:44.2 | ||
| 14T | Arlette Grosso | 22 | France | FRA | 1:44.2 | ||
| 17 | Nancy Holland | 18 | Canada | CAN | 1:45.2 | ||
| 18 | Marguerite Leduc | 24 | France | FRA | 1:45.6 | ||
| 19 | Stalina Demidova-Korzukhina | 22 | Soviet Union | URS | 1:46.5 | ||
| 20 | Yevgeniya Kabina-Sidorova | 29 | Soviet Union | URS | 1:46.7 | ||
| 21 | Joan Hannah | 20 | United States | USA | 1:47.9 | ||
| 22 | Nancy Greene | 16 | Canada | CAN | 1:48.3 | ||
| 23 | Lyubov Volkova | Soviet Union | URS | 1:49.2 | |||
| 24 | Marían Navarro | 18 | Spain | ESP | 1:49.7 | ||
| 25 | Josephine Gibbs | 21 | Great Britain | GBR | 1:50.3 | ||
| 26 | Margrit Gertsch | 20 | Switzerland | SUI | 1:50.4 | ||
| 27 | Christine Davy | 25 | Australia | AUS | 1:50.6 | ||
| 28 | Wendy Farrington | 18 | Great Britain | GBR | 1:50.8 | ||
| 29 | María Cristina Schweizer | 19 | Argentina | ARG | 1:51.0 | ||
| 30 | Liv Jagge-Christiansen | 16 | Norway | NOR | 1:51.2 | ||
| 31 | Renate Holmes | 30 | Great Britain | GBR | 1:51.9 | ||
| 32 | Elizabeth Greene | 19 | Canada | CAN | 1:53.3 | ||
| 33 | Linda Meyers | 22 | United States | USA | 1:53.4 | ||
| 34 | Cecilia Womersley | 16 | New Zealand | NZL | 1:59.5 | ||
| 35 | Liselotte Michel | 20 | Switzerland | SUI | 2:01.0 | ||
| 36 | Trish Prain | 26 | New Zealand | NZL | 2:01.5 | ||
| 37 | Astrid Sandvik | 20 | Norway | NOR | 2:02.9 | ||
| 38 | Janine Monterrain | 17 | France | FRA | 2:03.0 | ||
| 39 | Putzi Frandl | 29 | Austria | AUT | 2:11.6 | ||
| AC | Betsy Snite | 21 | United States | USA | DQ | ||
| AC | Annemarie Waser | 20 | Switzerland | SUI | DQ | ||
| AC | Herlinde Beutlhauser | 23 | Austria | AUT | DQ |