Franz Heinzer

Franz Heinzer (born April 11, 1962 in Rickenbach, Schwyz, Switzerland) is a former alpine ski racer, who specialized in downhill. He was World Cup champion in downhill three consecutive seasons (1991, 1992, 1993), second only to Franz Klammer (4 consecutive). He won a total of 15 World Cup downhill races, fourth behind Klammer (25), Peter Müller (19) and Stephan Eberharter (18). Together with Franz Klammer, Toni Sailer, Jean Claude Killy, Karl Schranz and Stephan Eberharter, he is considered among the best downhill racers of all time. He also won the season title in Super-G in 1991.

Franz Heinzer
Alpine skier
DisciplinesDownhill, Super G,
Combined
Born (1962-04-11) April 11, 1962
Rickenbach, Schwyz, Switzerland
Height181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
World Cup debut1981 – (age 18)
RetiredMarch 1994 – (age 31)
Olympics
Teams3 – (1988–94)
Medals0
World Championships
Teams6 – (1982–93)
Medals1 (1 gold)
World Cup
Seasons14 – (1981–94)
Wins17 – (15 DH, 2 K)
Podiums45
Overall titles0
Discipline titles4 – (3 DH, 1 SG)
Medal record
Men's slpine skiing
Representing   Switzerland
World Championships
1991 Saalbach Downhill

Heinzer won at the world's most famous downhill venues: Kitzbühel (3x), Wengen, Val Gardena (2x), Garmisch, Val-d'Isère, Aspen, Lake Louise, and St. Anton. His victory in the downhill event at the 1991 World Championships came after three fourth places at previous championships (Schladming (1982), Bormio (1985) and Crans-Montana (1987). He didn't compete in the downhill at Vail in 1989. At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway, his right binding released at the starting gate, putting him out of the downhill race.[1]

A month later, Heinzer retired from international competition at age 31 with 17 World Cup victories and 45 podiums. He now runs his own sports products company in Altdorf, and since the winter of 2004, also works as the assistant coach of Swiss national downhill team.[2]

The Franz Heinzer Piste in the Swiss ski resort of Stoos, a FIS-approved downhill run on the Klingenstock, is named in his honour.[3]

World Cup results

Season standings
SeasonAgeOverallSlalomGiant
Slalom		Super GDownhillCombined
19811836——not
run 		10—
19821926——10—
19832026—19not
awarded 		199
1984216—1884
1985225—3662
19862313——1098
19872412——253—
1988258——16313
19892631——2014—
19902717——21721
1991284——11—
1992295——71—
1993303——31—
19943136——2916—

Season titles

4 season titles: 3 downhill, 1 super G

Season Discipline
1991Downhill
Super-G
1992Downhill
1993Downhill

Individual races

17 race victories: 15 downhill, 2 combined

Season Date Location Race
1983December 19, 1982Val Gardena, ItalyCombined
1984December 9, 1983Val-d'Isère, FranceDownhill
December 10, 1983Combined
1986February 22, 1986Åre, SwedenDownhill
1987January 4, 1987Laax, SwitzerlandDownhill
1988March 11, 1988Beaver Creek, USADownhill
1991December 14, 1990Val Gardena, ItalyDownhill
January 12, 1991Kitzbühel, AustriaDownhill
March 8, 1991Aspen, USADownhill
March 16, 1991Lake Louise, CanadaDownhill
1992December 14, 1991Val Gardena, ItalyDownhill
January 17, 1992Kitzbühel, AustriaDownhill
January 18, 1992Downhill
January 25, 1992Wengen, SwitzerlandDownhill
1993January 10, 1993Garmisch, GermanyDownhill
January 16, 1993St. Anton, AustriaDownhill
January 23, 1993Veysonnaz, SwitzerlandDownhill

References
  1. "YouTube video: Franz Heinzer, 1994 Olympic downhill". Eurosport. 13 February 1994. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  2. "Franz Heinzer". Swiss Ski team. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  3. "Franz Heinzer Piste". myswitzerland.com. Switzerland Tourism. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
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