Paul Aste
Paul Aste was an Austrian bobsledder and luger who competed during the 1950s and the 1960s. He also took the Olympic Oath for athletes at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.
Background
Aste was born in Matrei in Osttirol, Austria on 5 December 1916. He died in Steinach am Brenner, Austria on 29 March 1988, at the age of 71.Luge career
As a luger, Aste won seven medals in the European luge championships with five golds and two silvers.Bobsleigh career
Aste also competed in bobsleigh during the 1950s and 1960s. He earned two medals in the two-man event at the FIBT World Championships with a silver in 1955 and a bronze in 1958. Aste competed in three Winter Olympics for Austria in bobsled, earning his best finish of fifth in the four-man event at Oslo in 1952.Role at the 1964 Winter Olympics
At the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Aste played three roles. His first was as a bobsleigh and luge course designer, creating a separate 13-turn bobsleigh and an 18-turn luge course used for each event. Aste's second role was taking the Olympic Oath for athletes during the opening ceremonies of the games. Finally, Aste finished seventh in the four-man event on the course he designed and constructed the previous year.Aste created some controversy with his recitation of the Olympic oath. Where the traditional oath ended "for the glory of the sports and the honor of our countries", he replaced the word "countries" with "teams". This change was deliberate and reflected Aste's belief that nationalism had negatively affected the Games. His one word substitution sparked significant debate, including a direct rebuff from a representative of the Soviet Union.