Didier Défago facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Didier Défago

Alpine skier
Défago in 2014
Disciplines	Downhill, Super G giant slalom, combined
Born	(1977-10-02) 2 October 1977 (age 47) Morgins, Valais, Switzerland
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
World Cup debut	7 March 1996 (age 18)
Retired	18 March 2015 (age 37)
Olympics
Teams	4 – (2002–2014)
Medals	1 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams	7 – (2001–09, '13–15)
Medals	0
World Cup
Wins	5 – (3 DH, 2 SG)
Podiums	16
Overall titles	0 – (6th in 2005, 2009)
Discipline titles	0 – (3rd in DH, SG; 2009)
Medal record Men's alpine skiing Representing  Switzerland Olympic Games Gold 2010 Vancouver Downhill

Didier Défago (born October 2, 1977) is a retired alpine ski racer from Switzerland. He was a top competitor in the World Cup circuit.

Didier was born in Morgins, a town in Valais, Switzerland. He started his World Cup career when he was 18 years old, in March 1996. He became a Swiss national champion in downhill skiing in 2003. The next year, in 2004, he won the national title in giant slalom.

Didier Défago winning gold
at the 2010 Winter Olympics

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, Didier achieved a huge success. He won the gold medal in the downhill race at Whistler, becoming an Olympic champion.

Didier had a very strong season in 2005. He finished sixth overall in the World Cup standings. He also placed fourth in the Super-G discipline that year. In 2009, he made history by winning two famous downhill races in a row. These were the classic races at Wengen and Kitzbühel. He was the first skier to win both in consecutive weeks since Stephan Eberharter in 2002. He was also the first Swiss racer to do so since Franz Heinzer in 1992.

In September 2010, Didier had an accident while training on a glacier near Zermatt. He injured his left knee, which meant he could not compete in the 2011 season.

Didier Défago announced his retirement from professional skiing in March 2015. His last World Cup downhill race was in Méribel, France, where he finished in an impressive second place. He competed in his final World Cup race, a Super-G, the very next day.

Didier's World Cup Achievements

Didier Défago had a successful career in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. He competed in many races and achieved several podium finishes.

World Cup Race Podiums

Didier won 5 World Cup races during his career. He also stood on the podium 16 times in total.

• 5 wins: 3 in downhill and 2 in Super-G.
• 16 podium finishes: 5 in downhill, 7 in Super-G, 3 in combined, and 1 in giant slalom.

Season	Date	Location	Discipline	Place
2002	03 Mar 2002	Kvitfjell, Norway	Super-G	2nd
2003	20 Dec 2002	Val Gardena, Italy	Super-G	1st
	26 Jan 2003	Kitzbühel, Austria	Combined	3rd
2005	14 Jan 2005	Wengen, Switzerland	Super combined	3rd
	20 Feb 2005	Garmisch, Germany	Super-G	2nd
	06 Mar 2005	Kvitfjell, Norway	Super-G	2nd
2007	17 Dec 2006	Alta Badia, Italy	Giant slalom	3rd
2008	13 Mar 2008	Bormio, Italy	Super-G	2nd
2009	19 Dec 2008	Val Gardena, Italy	Super-G	2nd
	17 Jan 2009	Wengen, Switzerland	Downhill	1st
	24 Jan 2009	Kitzbühel, Austria	Downhill	1st
2010	04 Dec 2009	Beaver Creek, United States	Super Combined	2nd
	29 Dec 2009	Bormio, Italy	Downhill	2nd
2012	29 Dec 2011		Downhill	1st
2014	26 Jan 2014	Kitzbühel, Austria	Super-G	1st
2015	18 Mar 2015	Méribel, France	Downhill	2nd

World Championship Appearances

Didier Défago represented Switzerland in several FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. These are major international competitions for alpine skiing.

Olympic Games Results

Didier Défago competed in four Winter Olympic Games, representing Switzerland. His biggest achievement was winning a gold medal in 2010.

See also

In Spanish: Didier Défago para niños