VON GRUENIGEN Michael (SUI) Web 11,Apr,1969 Schoenried 179cm 80kg SKI: Fischer BOOTS: Lange BINDING: Tyrolia 16,03,2003, Retired Adelboden 98 GS/2nd Alta Badia 2000 GS St.Anton WM01, GS / 1st Soelden 02, GS/3rd Lillehammer 03 GS World Cup 03 Giant Slalom Champion World Cup Ranking General 1990/46th, 1991/49th, 1992/28th, 1993/20th, 1994/19th, 1995/9th, 1996/3rd, 1997/5th, 1998/6th. 1999/8th. 2000/15th, 2001/5th, 2002/15th, 2003/15th. Special 1996 GS/1st, 1997 GS/1st, 1998 GS/2nd. 1999 GS/1st 2000 GS/3rd, 2001 GS/2nd, SL/18th. 2002 GS/6th, SL/28th. 2003 GS/1st. World Championships 1991 Saalbach GS/7th. 1993 Morioka/Shizukuishi SL/16th. 1996 Sierra Nevada SL/3rd, GS/3rd 1997 Sestriere SL/7th, GS/1st. 1999 Vail GS/7th, SL/12th. 2001 St.Anton GS/1st. 2003 St.Moritz GS/7th. Olympic Games 1992 Albertvill SL/7th, GS 13th. 1994 Lillehammer SL/15th. 1998 Nagano GS/3rd, SL/19th. 2002 Salt Lake City GS/11th. World Cup 23 w.(23 GS) 1. GS: Veysonnaz 93, Val d'Isere 95, 98, Tignes 96, 98, Vail 96, 97, Park City 96, Adelboden 96, Hinterstoder 96,　Alta Badia 97, Kranjska Gora 97, Shigakogen 97, Yong Pyon 98, Alta Badia 99, Sierra Nevada 99, Park City 01, Val d'Isere 01-I, Les Arcs 01, Flachau 02, Park City 03, Val d'Isere 03, Yong Pyong 03, 2. SL: Wengen 95, 99. GS: Tignes 95, Alta Badia 96, 98, Kranjska Gora 96, Soelden 97, Adelboden 97, 98, Flachau 99, Tignes 2000, Beaver Creek 00, Yong Pyong 00, Adelboden 01, 03, 3. GS: Val d'Isere 94, Flachau 96, Park City 97, Kranjska Gora 98, Ofterschwang 99, Todnau 00, Soelden 02, 03, 4. GS: Kranjska Gora 92, Hinterstoder 94, Saalbach 2000, Soelden 01, Val d'Isere 01-I, Bormio 01, Are 01, SL: Chamonix 97, 5. GS: Alta Badia 92, 93, Vail 94, Soelden 99, SL: Tignes 95, Lech 95 I , Vail 97, Park City 98, A shy and quiet person in normal life, Michael von Grunigen turns himself into a tiger on a race course. A very aggressive and impressive skier as soon as the clock is ticking, the Swiss veteran battled against the greatest champions of the last decade, often beating them. On this list superstars as Alberto Tomba, Kjetil Aamodt, Lasse Kjus, Hermann Maier, Stephan Eberharter or Christian Mayer. He can be proud to have won all 3Classics2 - from Adelboden to Kranjska Gora and Shiga Kogen, reaching the top in almost ten countries. Ski racing gave a sense to his life after the tragic death of his parents when he was a child. His father, a local trainer near Gstaad, was his first coach. Raised by his two older sisters including Christine, also a member of the Swiss team in the 19901s, young Michael soon showed great talent on snow. He entered the National Team at 20 and soon became the best GS skier in Switzerland and in the rest of the world. He is married since 1994 to the beautiful Anne who gave him three sons born in 1994, 1998 and 201. She has a very positive influence on him reinforcing his momentum and his pleasure to compete. In 1996, the couple built a wonderful new house made of traditional wood in Schoenried, near Gstaad, on the basement of the farm of his parents. After clinching his third GS World Cup title in 1999 at Sierra Nevada, Michael first felt it was time to give up ski racing and enjoy life with his family. Yet he was only 30 and looking for new challenges and more excitement on the slopes. Unfortunately 2000 was quite a disappointing season - he didn1t win a race and faced some health problems too. But he didn1t want to stop on such a sad way and found new motivation in changing his equipment. Working very hard during the summer, mostly on the glacier at Zermatt, von Grunigen helped Fischer to produce another great GS ski. The company has not been successful since the victory of Christian Mayer in the 1994 GS World Cup standings! Both parties achieved a great comeback that winter as Michael won three World Cup races and the gold medal at St Anton. The 2002 season started well with a place on the podium at Soelden (3rd) but things went down afterwards. He was forced to skip several races because of strong pains at an arm and his shoulder and he was not in his best shape during the Olympics at Park City. But he didn1t lose his talent and his temper during this difficult moment - two excellent runs at Flachau brought him a long awaited 20th victory in a World Cup race after beating the best specialists of the season who were fighting hard for the Crystal Cup that day: Eberharter, Raich, Covili, Cuche or Miller. Patrick Lang Biorama Basel