Franck Piccard first became known internationally when he won the 1982 World Junior downhill title. He eventually competed in four Winter Olympics (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998), winning three Olympic medals – gold in 1988 super-G, silver in 1992 downhill, and bronze in 1988 downhill. His only podium finish at the World Championships was a bronze in the 1991 super-G. Piccard won two French national titles, the super-G in 1987 and giant slalom in 1993. On the World Cup circuit he won four events – one downhill, two super-G’s, and one giant slalom, with his best overall seasonal finish being seventh in 1987-88. In the seasonal event World Cup standings, Piccard finished third four times – in super-G in 1987-88 and 1988-89, in the giant slalom in 1993-94, and in the combined in 1987-88. In all Piccard had 11 podium finishes in World Cup races.
After his retirement from competitive ski racing, Franck Piccard took up cross-country skiing, and competed at the French long-distance championships from 2006-09. In 1988 the French Academy of Sports awarded him the Prix de la ville de Paris. He came from a skiing family, as two brothers and a sister were international-level ski racers, with Leïla, Ian, and Ted all competing at the Winter Olympics.
France