Johann Grugger

Who is Johann Grugger?

Johann "Hans" Grugger is a former World Cup alpine ski racer, competing in the speed disciplines of downhill and super-G. He made his World Cup debut on November 29, 2003, in the downhill at Lake Louise, and finished seventh. He won his first World Cup race in Bormio, Italy on December 29, 2004. Exactly one year later at Bormio, he crashed and had to drop out of the season due to the acquired injuries. However, he managed to come back to reach podium positions in 2007, including a victory in the super-G at Kvitfjell, Norway.

Grugger made his first Olympic team in 2010 in Vancouver and finished 22nd in the downhill at Whistler Creekside.

On January 20, 2011, Grugger crashed during a downhill training run at Kitzbühel and suffered a serious head injury. He was airlifted to Innsbruck and placed into an induced coma. Grugger suffered a severe head trauma by crashing head-first onto the ski piste after a long jump. On 18 March 2011 he left the rehab clinic two months earlier due to his fast recovery progress. He says he will be skiing again, but it is uncertain whether he will ever ski again competitively. Grugger's accident triggered discussions over safety in downhill skiing. In April 2012 at the age of 30, he announced that he would retire and not continue to pursue his comeback.