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 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,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgPOFmLLHIw Thomas Fanara Sturz Beaver Creek 06.12.2009 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 Giantslalom 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 — — —
Race podiums 1 win – (1 GS) 14 podiums – (14 GS) Season Date Location Discipline Place2011 19 Dec 2010 Alta Badia, Italy Giant slalom 3rd8 Jan 2011 Adelboden, Switzerland Giant slalom 3rd 2013 16 Dec 2012 Alta Badia, Italy Giant slalom 3rd2014 14 Dec 2013 Val-d'Isère, France Giant slalom 2nd12 Jan 2014 Adelboden, Switzerland Giant slalom 2nd2015 21 Dec 2014 Alta Badia, Italy Giant slalom 3rd14 Mar 2015 Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Giant slalom 3rd21 Mar 2015 Méribel, France Giant slalom 3rd2016 25 Oct 2015 Sölden, Austria Giant slalom 2nd26 Feb 2016 Hinterstoder, Austria Giant slalom 3rd19 Mar 2016 St. Moritz, Switzerland Giant slalom 1st2019 16 Dec 2018 Alta Badia, Italy Giant slalom 2nd12 Jan 2019 Adelboden, Switzerland Giant slalom 3rd24 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.Race results at FIS-ski.com (World Championships 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 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 injured, did not compete 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.
References
External links
Thomas Fanara World Cup standings at the International Ski Federation
French Ski Team – 2019 men's A team – Fischer Skis – alpine racing – Thomas Fanara