Vienna - Austria on Saturday said goodbye to three-time Olympic alpine ski champion Toni Sailer who passed away after a lengthy illness.

The 73-year-old was buried in his home town of Kitzbuehel after a two-hour long mass attended by several hundred mourners.

Sailer's coffin was covered in white and red flowers and a photograph of his during his hey-day as a successful champion stood amongst the flowers.

Sailer, who is considered as one of the best-ever alpine skiers, won three Olympic gold medals and seven world titles between 1946 and 1958 and became a successful actor and singer after his active skiing career.

German football icon Franz Beckenbauer, as well as skiers Markus Wasmeier and Jean-Claude Killy - who described Sailer as an example and the greatest skier of all times - were amongst the mourners at the mass.

In 1956 Sailer rewrote the record books in the Italian town of Cortina, when he won three Olympic medals and four world titles.

At the time the Olympic Games doubled up as world championships and the seven world titles still see him topping the list with the most number of gold medals at the worlds.

"The city of Kitzbuehel is mourning the loss of one of its greatest sons," the Kitzbuehel mayor Klaus Winkler said, adding that Sailer's victories had helped boost the confidence of Austrian people after the Second World War. (dpa)