Coming into the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, he had regularly ranked among the top three in the world.

So he is also the most decorated Nordic combined skier at World Championships with eleven medals.

Gottwald also has won twice at the Holmenkollen ski festival in the Nordic combined (2001, 2003 individual).

[1] He chose to return from retirement in May 2009, in order to compete in another season, including the Olympics.

[2] After the Olympic season he added another one, and with his victories in Kuusamo (27 November 2010) and Schonach (8 January 2011) he became the oldest winner of a nordic combined competition.