Quick Facts
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Biography
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 one and 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 | Giant slalom | 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 | — | — | — |
- Standings through 24 February 2019
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 | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 25 | — | 16 | — | — | — |
| 2009 | 27 | — | DNF1 | — | — | — |
| 2011 | 29 | — | 6 | — | — | — |
| 2013 | 31 | — | DNF1 | — | — | — |
| 2015 | 33 | — | DNF1 | — | — | — |
| 2017 | 35 | Injured: did not compete | ||||
| 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 | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 24 | — | DNF1 | — | — | — |
| 2010 | 28 | |||||
| 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.