Franz Gruber (alpine skier)

Franz Gruber ( born November 8, 1959 in Kirchdorf an der Krems ) is a former Austrian alpine skier. He was especially successful in the slalom, but also in the giant slalom. In these disciplines, he won five Austrian Championship title. In the World Cup he celebrated a victory and was further eight times on the podium. At the Olympic Winter Games in 1984, he reached the fourth place in the giant slalom.

Career

At the age of 14 years, Franz Gruber was included in the squad of the Austrian Ski Federation. First successes came in 1975 with two Austrian Junior Champion titles in slalom and giant slalom in 1976 and the silver medal in the slalom at the Junior European Championships in Gällivare. In 1977 he was again Austrian Junior Champion in Giant Slalom. In the winter of 1977/78 he won his only race in the European Cup, a slalom in the Šar Planina, and came to the first missions in the World Cup. The first World Cup points won Gruber on 5 February 1979, tenth in the slalom in Jasna, two days after he had already reached the fourth place in Oslo. Another week later, he was in Bad Gastein for the first time Austrian Champion in slalom. Over the next seven years, followed by four more national titles, two in slalom and giant slalom.

After a few more top- 10 finishes in the World Cup Gruber stood third in the slalom in Åre on February 15, 1981 for the first time on the podium. With a total of five top -10 - places he reached in the 1980/81 season in tenth place in the slalom World Cup and was in that discipline for the first time the best Austrian, which he remained for the next three years. In the winter of 1981/82 he finished fifth in the slalom World Cup with two podium finishes and five top-10 results. In the 1982 World Cup in Schladming, he was eighth in the slalom - the only Austrian who finished the race.

A series of good results achieved Gruber in the 1982/ 1983. On 30 January 1983 he celebrated in the slalom of Vitranc Cup in Kranjska Gora his first and only World Cup victory. This was the first World Cup victory of Upper Austrian general. A further seven times he drove in the slalom in the top ten and twice he also reached in the giant slalom the top 10. In the combination of the 3- Tre race in Madonna di Campiglio, he scored with seventh place in the slalom and 13th in the Super G in third place. Gruber thus reached in the slalom and overall World Cup, equal on points with the Yugoslavs Bojan Križaj, as each best Austrian ninth place.

Gruber was able to increase something in the 1983 season / 84th This time he stood on the podium four times in the slalom, which he reached the third place in the slalom World Cup. Twice he was also in the giant slalom to get back in the top ten and in the combination of Madonna di Campiglio, he scored in fourth again a good result. Compared to last year, he could move up one place to eighth in the World Cup thus. At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, however, Gruber difference in his favorite slalom discipline - as well as all other Austrian - from. In the giant slalom, he reached, however, surprising fourth place. In the first round was the Upper Austrians, who was in the World Cup in this discipline never in the top five, still in third place; a medal but he eventually missed by 33 hundredths of a second.

In the coming years, Gruber could not connect to past performance. In the season 1984/85 he went three more times in the top ten and was able to qualify therefore for the World Cup 1985 in Bormio. There he finished in 19th place in the giant slalom and the slalom different from. In the winter of 1985/86 it reached only once the World Cup points ranks and after he had remained entirely in the season 1986/87 with no World Cup points, Gruber ended at the age of 27 years of his career.

Achievements

Olympic Winter Games

  • Sarajevo 1984: fourth giant slalom

World Championships

  • Schladming 1982: 8 Slalom
  • Bormio 1985: 19 Giant Slalom

European Junior Championships

  • Gällivare 1976: 2nd Slalom

World Cup

  • Season 1980/81: 10th World Cup slalom
  • Season 1981/82: 5th World Cup slalom
  • Season 1982/83: 9 Overall World Cup, 9 slalom World Cup
  • Season 1983/84: 8 Overall World Cup, 3rd World Cup slalom
  • 9 podiums, including one victory:

European Cup

  • 1977/ 78: 7 slalom rating
  • 1 win (slalom in the Šar Planina 1977/78 )

Austrian Championships

  • Quintuple Austrian Champion: 3x slalom (1979, 1981 and 1986)
  • 2x giant slalom (1982 and 1984)
Slalom skiing Alpine skiing combined 1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1981 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1982 Alpine Skiing World Cup FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1982 Municipality of Kranjska Gora 1985 Alpine Skiing World Cup FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1985 1986 Alpine Skiing World Cup 1987 Alpine Skiing World Cup Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics
348633
de