Piero Gros
Encyclopedia
Piero Gros is an Italian former champion alpine ski racer
. He won the gold medal in slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics
in Innsbruck
, and was World Cup
overall champion in 1974
.
, in the province of Turin
. He started very early to ski, thanks to Aldo Monaci and Aldo Zulian. At the age of 8 he was for the first time on the podium of local race. Gros made his debut in the Alpine Skiing World Cup in December 1972, at age 18. In that 1973
season, he won two races in Val d'Isère
and Madonna di Campiglio
; he was the youngest Italian skier ever to win a World Cup race. Two years later he won the overall title, sharing this result in Italy only with his friend and rival Gustav Thöni
, and with Alberto Tomba
. Thöni had won the overall title the three preceding seasons and would reclaim it in 1975
; he was the runner-up in 1974, and if not for Gros, would've won an unthinkable five consecutive overall titles. Gros also won the bronze medal in the giant slalom
at the 1974 World Championships
in St. Moritz
.
His most notable and best result was the gold medal in the slalom
at the 1976 Winter Olympics
: he preceded the silver medalist Thöni, in the most successful race ever for Italy at the Winter Olympics. According to Gros, that race was also significant in which he defeated the then almost unbeatable Ingemar Stenmark
of Sweden
, to which Gros had been second for six times in that 1976 World Cup
season. Gros won another world championship medal in 1978
, taking silver in slalom. Stenmark's dominance was the major factor in Gros' limited success in the late 1970s.
During his career, Piero Gros won a total of 12 World Cup races; 7 in giant slalom and 5 in slalom. He had 35 World Cup podiums (top 3) and 98 top ten finishes. http://www.ski-db.com/db/profiles/grspi.asp Gros etired from international competition following the 1982
season, at the age of 27.
From 1985-90 he was major of the native village of Sauze d'Oulx. In the meantime he worked as sport commentator for various television stations, including RAI
, the Italian State Network.
His son Giorgio is also an alpine ski racer
, who has competed in several World Cup races.
, 5 slalom
)
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
. He won the gold medal in slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Innsbruck, Austria, from February 5–13, 1976.Similar to the 1964 games, the men's downhill was held on Patscherkofel , the other five events at Axamer Lizum....
in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, and was World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
overall champion in 1974
1974 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 8th World Cup season began in December 1973 and concluded in March 1974. Piero Gros of Italy won the overall title, denying the runner-up, countryman Gustav Thöni, of a fourth straight overall title. Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fourth of five consecutive.The...
.
Biography
Gros was born at Sauze d'OulxSauze d'Oulx
Sauze d'Oulx is a town and comune in the province of Turin, Piedmont located 80 kilometres from Turin in the Val di Susa, at the foot of monte Genevris ....
, in the province of Turin
Province of Turin
The Province of Turin is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Turin.It has an area of 6,830 km², and a total population of 2,277,686 . There are 315 comuni in the province – the most of any province in Italy...
. He started very early to ski, thanks to Aldo Monaci and Aldo Zulian. At the age of 8 he was for the first time on the podium of local race. Gros made his debut in the Alpine Skiing World Cup in December 1972, at age 18. In that 1973
1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive....
season, he won two races in Val d'Isère
Val d'Isère
Val d'Isère is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department in south-eastern France. It lies from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963. The Face de Bellevarde was the scene of the men's downhill race as part of the 1992 Winter...
and Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m...
; he was the youngest Italian skier ever to win a World Cup race. Two years later he won the overall title, sharing this result in Italy only with his friend and rival Gustav Thöni
Gustav Thöni
Gustav Thöni is a former champion alpine ski racer from northern Italy.-Career:...
, and with Alberto Tomba
Alberto Tomba
Alberto Tomba is an Italian retired alpine ski racer. He was the dominant technical skier in the late 1980s and 1990s. Tomba won three Olympic gold medals, two World Championships, and nine World Cup season titles; four in slalom, four in giant slalom, and one overall title...
. Thöni had won the overall title the three preceding seasons and would reclaim it in 1975
1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons...
; he was the runner-up in 1974, and if not for Gros, would've won an unthinkable five consecutive overall titles. Gros also won the bronze medal in the giant slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
at the 1974 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974 were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from February 3-10, 1974.St. Moritz would host the event again in 2003, and hosted the 1948 Winter Olympics and the 1928 Winter Olympics .-External links:...
in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
.
His most notable and best result was the gold medal in the slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
at the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Innsbruck, Austria, from February 5–13, 1976.Similar to the 1964 games, the men's downhill was held on Patscherkofel , the other five events at Axamer Lizum....
: he preceded the silver medalist Thöni, in the most successful race ever for Italy at the Winter Olympics. According to Gros, that race was also significant in which he defeated the then almost unbeatable Ingemar Stenmark
Ingemar Stenmark
Jan Ingemar Stenmark is a Swedish former skier, active during the 1970s and 1980s. He is regarded as one of the most prominent Swedish sportsmen, and as the greatest slalom and giant slalom specialist of all time. He competed for Fjällvinden Tärnaby.Stenmark was born in the province of Lappland...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, to which Gros had been second for six times in that 1976 World Cup
1976 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 10th World Cup season began in December 1975 in France and concluded in March 1976 in Canada. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won the first of his three consecutive overall titles...
season. Gros won another world championship medal in 1978
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1978
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1978 were held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, West Germany, between January 29 and February 5, 1978. :de:Alpine Skiweltmeisterschaft 1978The event is scheduled to return in 2011...
, taking silver in slalom. Stenmark's dominance was the major factor in Gros' limited success in the late 1970s.
During his career, Piero Gros won a total of 12 World Cup races; 7 in giant slalom and 5 in slalom. He had 35 World Cup podiums (top 3) and 98 top ten finishes. http://www.ski-db.com/db/profiles/grspi.asp Gros etired from international competition following the 1982
1982 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 16th World Cup season began in December 1981 in France and concluded in March 1982, also in France. Phil Mahre of the U.S. repeated as overall champion, the second of his three consecutive titles. Erika Hess of Switzerland won the women's overall title....
season, at the age of 27.
From 1985-90 he was major of the native village of Sauze d'Oulx. In the meantime he worked as sport commentator for various television stations, including RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
, the Italian State Network.
His son Giorgio is also an alpine ski racer
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
, who has competed in several World Cup races.
World Cup victories
12 victories (7 giant slalomGiant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
, 5 slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
)
| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive.... -Dec-17 |
 Madonna di CampiglioMadonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m... |
Slalom Slalom skiing Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :... |
| 1972 1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive.... -Dec-18 |
 Val d'IsèreVal d'Isère Val d'Isère is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department in south-eastern France. It lies from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963. The Face de Bellevarde was the scene of the men's downhill race as part of the 1992 Winter... |
Giant Slalom Giant Slalom skiing Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G.... |
| 1973 1974 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 8th World Cup season began in December 1973 and concluded in March 1974. Piero Gros of Italy won the overall title, denying the runner-up, countryman Gustav Thöni, of a fourth straight overall title. Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fourth of five consecutive.The... -Dec-17 |
Sterzing Sterzing Sterzing is a comune in South Tyrol in the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy. It is the main village of the southern Wipptal, and the Eisack River flows through the medieval town.-Origin:... |
Slalom |
| 1974 1974 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 8th World Cup season began in December 1973 and concluded in March 1974. Piero Gros of Italy won the overall title, denying the runner-up, countryman Gustav Thöni, of a fourth straight overall title. Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fourth of five consecutive.The... -Jan-07 |
 BerchtesgadenBerchtesgaden Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich... |
Giant Slalom |
| 1974 1974 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 8th World Cup season began in December 1973 and concluded in March 1974. Piero Gros of Italy won the overall title, denying the runner-up, countryman Gustav Thöni, of a fourth straight overall title. Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fourth of five consecutive.The... -Jan-13 |
Morzine Morzine Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune... |
Giant Slalom |
| 1974 1974 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 8th World Cup season began in December 1973 and concluded in March 1974. Piero Gros of Italy won the overall title, denying the runner-up, countryman Gustav Thöni, of a fourth straight overall title. Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fourth of five consecutive.The... -Mar-03 |
 VossVoss is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen.... |
Slalom |
| 1974 1974 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 8th World Cup season began in December 1973 and concluded in March 1974. Piero Gros of Italy won the overall title, denying the runner-up, countryman Gustav Thöni, of a fourth straight overall title. Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her fourth of five consecutive.The... -Mar-09 |
 Vysoké Tatry (town)Vysoké Tatry (town) Vysoké Tatry , informally Mesto Vysoké Tatry , is a town at the feet of the Slovak part of High Tatras in Slovakia including all the major resorts in that region... |
Giant Slalom |
| 1974 1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons... -Dec-05 |
Val d'Isère |
Giant Slalom |
| 1974 1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons... -Dec-18 |
Madonna di Campiglio |
Giant Slalom |
| 1975 1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons... -Jan-06 |
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria... |
Slalom |
| 1975 1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons... -Jan-13 |
 AdelbodenAdelboden Adelboden is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.-Geography:Adelboden lies in the west of the Berner Oberland, at the end of the valley of the Engstlige river, which flows in Frutigen into the Kander river.Adelboden is a... |
Giant Slalom |
| 1975 1975 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 9th World Cup season began in December 1974 in France and concluded in March 1975 in Italy. Gustav Thöni of Italy would regain the overall title, his fourth overall title in five seasons... -Jan-19 |
 KitzbühelHahnenkamm, Kitzbühel The Hahnenkamm is a mountain in Austria, directly south of Kitzbühel, in the Kitzbühel Alps. The elevation of its summit is above sea level.The Hahnenkamm is part of the ski resort of Kitzbühel, and hosts the annual World Cup alpine ski races, the Hahnenkammrennen... |
Slalom |
External links
- FIS-ski.com - race results - Piero Gros
- FIS-ski.com - World Cup season standings - Piero Gros - 1973-82
- Ski-DB.com - Results - Piero Gros