Patrick Russel


Patrick Russel is a former French Alpine ski racer and World Cup champion. He specialized in the technical disclipines and won three discipline championships in the World Cup: slalom in 1969 and 1970 and giant slalom in 1971. He also won two silver medals in slalom and combined at the 1970 World Championships at Val Gardena, Italy.

Career

Russel was the son of Lee Russel, who was a marketing executive at the French ski manufacturer Rossignol. He competed on the World Cup circuit from 1968 through 1972 and became the first male to win World Cup races in three straight years and in four straight years. Overall, he won 13 World Cup races and achieved 26 podiums during his career, as well as three discipline championships and two World Championship silver medals in 1970. In 1970, he finished second overall in the World Cup behind Karl Schranz, and in 1971 he was third overall behind Gustav Thöni.
In 1972, Russel broke his leg during a giant slalom in Berchtesgaden, West Germany, three weeks before the Winter Olympics and was unable to compete for the remainder of the season. After the French men failed to medal during the Olympics, the French ski coach was replaced, and the new coach fired French stars Russel, Henri Duvillard and Jean-Noël Augert from the World Cup team at the start of 1973. It has been suggested that a conflict between the two alpine cultures provoked by Bozon and Rossignol caused the firings, the three racers involved being encouraged to not take both training and races seriously just before they were fired. The coaches themselves resigned. Bozon got what he wanted and in the process destroyed the French ski team for years thereafter. All three skiers then turned professional and competed in the United States until their retirements.
After his retirement from competition, Russel became a ski instructor in France at Les Arcs.

World Cup victories

Season titles

Individual victories

13 total wins
DateLocationRace
25 February 1968 OsloSlalom
1 March 1968 Kranjska GoraSlalom
19 January 1969 KitzbühelSlalom
9 February 1969 ÅreSlalom
20 December 1969 LienzGiant slalom
11 January 1970 WengenSlalom
18 January 1970 KitzbühelSlalom
25 February 1970 MegèveSlalom
8 March 1970 Heavenly ValleyGiant slalom
15 March 1970 VossSlalom
17 December 1970 Val-d'IsèreGiant slalom
18 January 1971 AdelbodenGiant slalom
14 February 1971 Mont St. AnneSlalom