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Wikipedia / Thomas Fanara

Thomas Fanara (born 24 April 1981) is a former French World Cup alpine ski racer.

Born in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, Fanara specialised in giant slalom; his only win came in March 2016 at the giant slalom finals in St. Moritz, Switzerland. He is the oldest racer to reach a World Cup podium in giant slalom, and competed for France at three Winter Olympics and six World Championships. He retired from competition at the end of the 2018–19 season.

World Cup

Fanara has started over 70 World cup races, mostly in giant slalom but also in slalom, and has been on the podium fourteen times. For some time he held the record for most World Cup podium finishes without a win until his victory at the World Cup finals in St. Moritz in 2016. In December 2007, he fell and hurt himself in the second run after winning the first run of a race in Bad Kleinkirchheim, but finished. Two years later in December 2009, Fanara incurred a season-ending injury to his left knee after a spectacular fall during a race in Beaver Creek, two months before the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Following his World Cup win in St. Moritz, Fanara suffered an injury which kept him out of competition for the 2016–17 season. However, he subsequently made a successful return, taking a number of podium finished in his final season.

Season standings

Season

Age

Overall

Slalom

Giantslalom

Super-G

Downhill

Combined

2005

23

136

—

54

—

—

—

2006

24

59

—

18

—

—

—

2007

25

78

—

17

—

—

—

2008

26

83

—

25

—

—

—

2009

27

48

—

13

—

—

—

2010

28

138

—

50

—

—

—

2011

29

37

—

6

—

—

—

2012

30

48

—

12

—

—

—

2013

31

29

—

5

—

—

—

2014

32

29

—

4

—

—

—

2015

33

27

—

5

—

—

—

2016

34

23

—

6

—

—

—

2017

35

73

—

23

—

—

—

2018

36

60

—

18

—

—

—

2019

37

30

—

7

—

—

—

Race podiums

  • 1 win – (1 GS)

  • 14 podiums – (14 GS)

Season

Date

Location

Discipline

Place

2011

19 Dec 2010

Alta Badia, Italy

Giant slalom

3rd

8 Jan 2011

Adelboden, Switzerland

Giant slalom

3rd

2013

16 Dec 2012

Alta Badia, Italy

Giant slalom

3rd

2014

14 Dec 2013

Val-d'Isère, France

Giant slalom

2nd

12 Jan 2014

Adelboden, Switzerland

Giant slalom

2nd

2015

21 Dec 2014

Alta Badia, Italy

Giant slalom

3rd

14 Mar 2015

Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

Giant slalom

3rd

21 Mar 2015

Méribel, France

Giant slalom

3rd

2016

25 Oct 2015

Sölden, Austria

Giant slalom

2nd

26 Feb 2016

Hinterstoder, Austria

Giant slalom

3rd

19 Mar 2016

St. Moritz, Switzerland

Giant slalom

1st

2019

16 Dec 2018

Alta Badia, Italy

Giant slalom

2nd

12 Jan 2019

Adelboden, Switzerland

Giant slalom

3rd

24 Feb 2019

Bansko, Bulgaria

Giant slalom

3rd

World championships

Fanara has competed in four World Championships in the giant slalom discipline. In 2007 in Åre, Sweden, he finished 16th, but on home country snow in 2009 in Val-d'Isère, France, he did not finish the first run. At Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, he finished sixth in 2011 but failed to finish the first run in 2013 at Schladming, Austria. Fanara participated in the team event in 2011 at Garmisch and earned a gold medal.

Year

Age

Slalom

Giantslalom

Super-G

Downhill

Combined

2007

25

—

16

—

—

—

2009

27

—

DNF1

—

—

—

2011

29

—

6

—

—

—

2013

31

—

DNF1

—

—

—

2015

33

—

DNF1

—

—

—

2017

35

2019

37

—

DNF2

—

—

—

Olympics

At the Winter Olympics, Fanara did not finish the first run of the giant slalom in 2006 and was injured two months prior the 2010 Games and did not compete.

Year

Age

Slalom

Giantslalom

Super-G

Downhill

Combined

2006

24

—

DNF1

—

—

—

2010

28

injured, did not compete

2014

32

—

9

—

—

—

2018

36

—

5

—

—

—

National championships

Fanara reached the podium of French national championships four times, all in giant slalom. In 2005 he was third; in 2006 he was second; and he won in 2007 and 2009.

References