Franz Plangger

Franz Plangger (born October 2, 1968 ) is a former Austrian skeleton driver .

Franz Plangger first started in a race in Calgary in the World Cup in November 1988 and immediately finished fourth. In January 1993 he won his first of six World Cup races in Oberhof . In the 1992/93 season he was able to win all three World Cup races and thus also won the overall World Cup. This was followed by further top placings in the overall World Cup: second in 1994/95, third in 1989/90 and 1993/94, fourth in 1988/89 and 1996/97, fifth in 1990/91 and 1995/96.

Plangger first started at world championships in 1989 in St. Moritz , where he immediately won the bronze medal. In 1991 in Igls he finished fourth, in 1992 in Calgary fifth, and in 1993 second behind Andy Schmid in La Plagne . Another bronze medal was added in 1994 and a sixth place in 1995 in Lillehammer . In 1996 Plangger only had to admit defeat to Ryan Davenport in Calgary . He took part in another four world championships until 2000, but was never able to place in the top 10. Despite his great success, he was never able to win the world championship title. At the European Championships he was only able to achieve a top placement once, in 1988. Here he won the bronze medal in Winterberg .

At national championships he was once runner-up (1988) and once third (1999). More successes were not possible, since no championships were held in Austria between 1990 and 1998, i.e. in the best phase of the athlete Plangger. After the 1999/2000 season, Plangger drove another season in the European Cup and then ended his career.

Web links

• Profile on skeletonsport.com ( Memento from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (English)