He made his debut in the Ski World Cup on December 15, 1996 in Val-d'Isère with 34th place. In the course of his career, he celebrated three World Cup victories in downhill skiing. The 1.89 m tall and 100 kg heavy ski racer had to cope with a number of injuries (including a cruciate ligament tear in January 2005). He was generally considered to be a “miracle glider” in the World Cup circuit. Dénériaz won the Olympic Downhill with a torn inner ligament. Since a serious fall at the World Cup final in Åre in March 2006, Dénériaz has had to struggle with his form again and again. On December 5, 2007, the three-time French champion announced his retirement from active sports.
Dénériaz is married to the former Austrian-New Zealand ski racer Claudia Riegler , the couple have two sons. Dénériaz is involved in the ski manufacturer zai AG .
France
