In 1976 he won the bronze medal in the Alpine downhill event.[2] That event also counted as a FIS Alpine World Championship. Four years later he finished sixth in the 1980 downhill competition.
Mr. Plank is the youngest winner of a male downhill race (Val d'Isère, 10 December 1973). He won five downhill races in the World Cup; in the downhill races he achieved second place nine times and third six times; he also became second in the Alpine Combined at St. Anton am Arlberg on 1 December 1981. In another 25 races (within 6 Combined) he finished in the Top Ten. He became second in the Downhill World Cup 1975/76 and third in the Downhill World Cup in the seasons 1973/74, 1974/75, 1977/78 and 1979/80. Because retiring after the season 1981/82, he didn't compete in Super-Gs. His son Andreas Plank (nickname Andy) is also an Alpine Skiing Racer; he became World Champion in the Downhill at the FIS Alpine Junior World Championships 2009.
