Werner Franz
Encyclopedia
Werner Franz is a former Austria
n alpine skier
.
Franz was born in Weissbriach and he could already be found in the mountains at the age of 2, learning his first skiing techniques. He was coached by his father who was determined to make a professional skier out of his son. When Werner won an amateur race against young skiers of his own age he was complimented by his father who gave him newer and better skiing equipment as a present.
The good performances in his younger years gave him self confidence, which resulted in his goals to achieve. To reach these goals he had to train and concentrate hard on his sports career and succeeded. Werner Franz developed himself as a skier specialising in the speed disciplines of downhill
and Super G
.
Franz joined the Austrian national World Cup
team in 1990. In the 1991-92 season he won his first race in the European Cup, which immediately secured him the overall win in the downhill European Cup rankings. Unless the win he was not able to win any of the following races, but during the World Cup meeting in Val Gardena in the 1993-94 season he finished in second position. In the following year he repeated this achievement by finishing second at the race in Wengen
. He also skied himself into several top 10 results.
In the following years he was a constant factor in top 10 standings, but was unable to win any races. In 1995-96 he came second at the Austrian national Championships in downhill. Finally, during the 1999-2000 season Franz won his first World Cup race by finishing in front of all his opponents except Fritz Strobl
in the Super G race in Sankt Anton
; Strobl and Franz finished in exactly the same time and shared the victory. This result and a fourth place later in the same weekend earned him the fifth position in the overall Super G World Cup of that season.
On 29 October 2001 his career was put on hold when he fell during a training run in Sölden
. A heavy knee injury kept him out for the whole 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. Due to his recuperation program, hard training and mental strength he was able to fight himself back into the Austrian team for the 2003-04 season. Motivated he started the season after switching equipment sponsors. However he faced another injury in January 2004 during a training in Bad Kleinkirchheim
, which ended his season immediately.
In the 2004-05 winter Franz made his comeback in the World Cup circuit and won his first World Cup points by finishing 22nd in Lake Louise
. Later in the season, during the downhill of Val-d'Isère he finished in first position and claimed his second career World Cup win. A fifth place in Wengen
and several other top 10 results during the season confirmed his comeback. He was however not able to win anymore races during that season and during the summer of 2005 in Chile
he faced another long term injury which kept him aside for the whole 2005-06 season. On 14 December 2006, only a few races into the new season he announced his retirement from international races, just one day after Andreas Schifferer
did the same.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n alpine skier
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...
.
Franz was born in Weissbriach and he could already be found in the mountains at the age of 2, learning his first skiing techniques. He was coached by his father who was determined to make a professional skier out of his son. When Werner won an amateur race against young skiers of his own age he was complimented by his father who gave him newer and better skiing equipment as a present.
The good performances in his younger years gave him self confidence, which resulted in his goals to achieve. To reach these goals he had to train and concentrate hard on his sports career and succeeded. Werner Franz developed himself as a skier specialising in the speed disciplines of downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
and Super G
Super Giant Slalom skiing
The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:...
.
Franz joined the Austrian national 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...
team in 1990. In the 1991-92 season he won his first race in the European Cup, which immediately secured him the overall win in the downhill European Cup rankings. Unless the win he was not able to win any of the following races, but during the World Cup meeting in Val Gardena in the 1993-94 season he finished in second position. In the following year he repeated this achievement by finishing second at the race in Wengen
Wengen
Wengen may refer to:*Wengen, a village and winter resort in Switzerland*La Val, a commune in South Tyrol, Italy with the German name "Wengen"*in Germany:**Wengen , a village in the municipality of Nennslingen in Mittelfranken...
. He also skied himself into several top 10 results.
In the following years he was a constant factor in top 10 standings, but was unable to win any races. In 1995-96 he came second at the Austrian national Championships in downhill. Finally, during the 1999-2000 season Franz won his first World Cup race by finishing in front of all his opponents except Fritz Strobl
Fritz Strobl
Fritz Strobl is a former World Cup alpine ski racer.Strobl was the gold medalist in the downhill at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City....
in the Super G race in Sankt Anton
Sankt Anton
Sankt Anton may refer to the following places in Austria:*Sankt Anton am Arlberg, a municipality and ski resort in Tyrol*Sankt Anton im Montafon, a municipality in Vorarlberg*Sankt Anton an der Jeßnitz, a municipality in Lower Austria...
; Strobl and Franz finished in exactly the same time and shared the victory. This result and a fourth place later in the same weekend earned him the fifth position in the overall Super G World Cup of that season.
On 29 October 2001 his career was put on hold when he fell during a training run in Sölden
Sölden
Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.-Geography:At c. 467 km² , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated...
. A heavy knee injury kept him out for the whole 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. Due to his recuperation program, hard training and mental strength he was able to fight himself back into the Austrian team for the 2003-04 season. Motivated he started the season after switching equipment sponsors. However he faced another injury in January 2004 during a training in Bad Kleinkirchheim
Bad Kleinkirchheim
Bad Kleinkirchheim is a municipality in Spittal an der Drau, Carinthia, Austria. Until the middle of the 20th century, agriculture was the dominant focus, but it is now a renowned spa and ski resort...
, which ended his season immediately.
In the 2004-05 winter Franz made his comeback in the World Cup circuit and won his first World Cup points by finishing 22nd in Lake Louise
Lake Louise Mountain Resort
The Lake Louise Ski Area is a ski resort located in Banff National Park, near the village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It can be reached from Banff, from where it is a 35 to 45 minute drive west on Trans-Canada Highway, or Calgary, a 2-hour drive...
. Later in the season, during the downhill of Val-d'Isère he finished in first position and claimed his second career World Cup win. A fifth place in Wengen
Wengen
Wengen may refer to:*Wengen, a village and winter resort in Switzerland*La Val, a commune in South Tyrol, Italy with the German name "Wengen"*in Germany:**Wengen , a village in the municipality of Nennslingen in Mittelfranken...
and several other top 10 results during the season confirmed his comeback. He was however not able to win anymore races during that season and during the summer of 2005 in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
he faced another long term injury which kept him aside for the whole 2005-06 season. On 14 December 2006, only a few races into the new season he announced his retirement from international races, just one day after Andreas Schifferer
Andreas Schifferer
Andreas "Andi" Schifferer is a former Austrian alpine skier who was known to be a downhill specialist, but also competed in other disciplines.-Early life:...
did the same.
Statistics
| downhill | super g | combined | total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Cup victories | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| World Cup podiums | 13 | 4 | 2 | 19 |
| World Cup top tens | 47 | 14 | 8 | 69 |
| World Cup victories | ||
|---|---|---|
| date | venue | discipline |
| 13 February 2000 |  Sankt AntonSankt Anton Sankt Anton may refer to the following places in Austria:*Sankt Anton am Arlberg, a municipality and ski resort in Tyrol*Sankt Anton im Montafon, a municipality in Vorarlberg*Sankt Anton an der Jeßnitz, a municipality in Lower Austria... |
Super G |
| 11 December 2004 |  Val-d'Isère |
Downhill |
| First World Cup start |  1992 AspenAspen Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by... |
| First World Cup points | 1992 Aspen Aspen Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by... |
| First World Cup podium |  1993 Val Gardena |
- Statistics updated until: 26 November 2006