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Fabian Gratz: Bearer of hope defies lack of snow in Copper Mountain!
Fabian Gratz starts the 2025 winter season successfully, defies the lack of snow in Copper Mountain and achieves strong performances in the World Cup.
Fabian Gratz: Bearer of hope defies lack of snow in Copper Mountain!
Fabian Gratz, the 28-year-old ski racer from Saulgrub, started the 2025 winter season with early success. At the giant slalom in Sölden he came 17th, which was his best result in the World Cup to date. Despite the challenges of a shortened route, the sports soldier was satisfied with his performance. His fourth run in the final was particularly notable, giving him a positive feeling for the coming season. He took this motivation with him into a four-week break before heading to the next World Cup in Copper Mountain, USA, where the German ski team has been staying for a week. Gratz's next competition is scheduled for Friday, while colleague Simon Jocher opened his season in the Super-G and finished 20th, being the best German.
But Copper Mountain invites you under somewhat unfavorable conditions. There is little snow at the moment and the temperatures are unexpectedly warm. Gratz himself has already mentioned the difficulties of these conditions, as they significantly affect the training conditions. He plans to build on his performance in the second round in Sölden in order to further prove himself in the World Cup.
Fabian's career in fast forward
Fabian's path to the ski slopes wasn't always easy. He made his international debut in a junior race in Pfelders in 2013 before competing in his first major event at the Junior World Championships in Davos in 2018. His breakthrough in the World Cup finally came in February 2020 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where he missed the second round by just a hundredth of a second.
Gratz collected his first World Cup points in March 2022 in Kranjska Gora. From then on, things went uphill: He secured third place in the team category at the World Cup finals in Courchevel/Méribel. However, the 2023 World Championships ended disappointingly for him when he failed to qualify. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic and looks forward to the upcoming competitions in the European Cup and World Cup.
Competition results and rankings
In the current 2023/24 season, Gratz is in 123rd place in the overall World Cup and 45th in the giant slalom. His goal will be to continuously improve. To date, he has achieved six placements among the top 30 in individual races.
| placement | Competition | World Cup 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|
| 123 | Overall World Cup | 11 points |
| 45 | Giant Slalom World Cup | 11 points |
The past few seasons clearly show the progress Gratz has made; With several podium finishes, including a victory in the European Cup and his overall placings between the 2021/22 to 2023/24 seasons, he stands out among German ski athletes. The expectations of his achievements are increasing and the ski community is looking forward to his upcoming performances.
[Merkur](https://www.merkur.de/lokales/garmisch-partenkirchen/hoffnung-fabian-gratz-trotzt-schnee Mangel-in-copper-mountain-usa-weltcup-ski-ass-dsv-94060894.html) reports that the weather conditions in Copper Mountain are challenging and significantly limit training opportunities. While his colleague Simon Jocher finished a respectable 20th in the Super-G, Gratz hopes to be able to overcome the snow conditions. His results so far promise an exciting continuation of the season, which ski fans, especially in Germany, will follow with great attention.
The focus is on the future: “I hope that I can confirm my performance in Copper Mountain,” said Gratz optimistically. If everything goes well, perhaps he can make a big splash this season too.