Antoine Dénériaz, Olympic champion in downhill skiing
The young Antoine Dénériaz started on the skis at a young age in his hometown of Morillon in Haute-Savoie and was a member of the ski club there. He trained with his father until the age of 15. Then he integrated the Team Grand Massif in the International Ski Federation. He learned a lot during his three years with them and was selected for the Junior Championship in the USA in 1994. There, he met some of the future big names in skiing including Covili, Pequegnot and Suchet.
Very quickly he joined team France B in spring of 1995, then Team A in 1997. Over the next three years he discovered the European Cup and then the World Cup. He gradually improved and then in December 1998 in Val d’Isère, Antoine Dénériaz came fourth and only missed the podium by a few hundredths of a second. This was the turning point and from then on, he went from strength to strength.
Three-time gold medalist for France and three-time World Cup winner, the podiums added up. But for this native of Morillon, his big day came on the 12th February 2006, in Turin. On that day, he won the ultimate challenge of the Olympic Games, downhill skiing. Achieving a time of 1’48’80, this rather large skier (1.88 m, 97 kg) beat all the odds. “I felt like I was on another planet, nothing could stop me”, said the olympic champion 2006, before announcing his retirement in 2007.
He was also ambassador for the “Annecy 2018” candidacy and today, Antoine Dénériaz is a sports consultant for the television and owns his own business with his very own brand of skis, masks, glasses and other equipment.
Find out more on: www.deneriaz-ski.com – Follow Antoine Dénériaz on Facebook
Argeline Tan Bouquet, three-time medalist for the Junior World Championships!
Argeline was born on the 30th April 1994 and has been a member of Morillon Ski Club since she chose to focus on Alpine skiing in the U10 (Microbe) and U16 (Minimes) categories. She has since decided to become a Telemark skier and joined the Samoëns Télémark Team, she also competes with the French National Team.
Argeline has already won some impressive titles: World Vice-Champion 2019 in sprint, she was also the first French woman to be awarded a Globe de Cristal in Telemark skiing (Classic) in 2018 in Murren. Three-times world vice-champion in 2017, she has been shining through since a very young age: two-times French champion (2012 and 2014), she was also named Junior world champion in Parallel Sprint in 2015. The young athlete who began her skiing days on the slopes of Grand Massif at Morillon Ski Club, will again represent France in telemark skiing for the 2019-2020 season, alongside Julie Bourbon, who is also a member of Morillon Ski Club.
Noé Claye
Information pending
Maxime Pezet, a rising star in Freeride
Maxime, 17 years old from Châtillon-sur-Cluses is a member of Morillon Ski Club and won the 3rd stage of the Junior Freeride World tour (FWT) in March 2019. Alongside his ski instructor father, he developed a love of off-piste and freeride skiing at the Grand Massif ski area. For his first season, the young skier brought some great results home from the FWT: he came 8th at Les Arcs and 9th in Chamonix. A rising star from Morillon that we should keep a close eye on!