The Men's Downhill competition of the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid was held at Whiteface Mountain on Thursday, February 14.

[6] Gold medalist Leonhard Stock was an alternate on the Austrian downhill team, at the Olympics for the slalom.

His fast training times earned him a spot on the four-man team, displacing Walcher, the reigning world champion.

[7][8][9] All four Austrians in the race finished in the top ten and Müller was fourth.

At the starting gate, the skies were broken overcast and snowing, the temperature was −10.0 °C (14.0 °F), wind speed was 53 km/h (33 mph) and the snow condition was hard packed.