Thomas Prugger

Thomas Prugger started snowboarding in 1985. Although he had never won a World Cup race, he took the giant slalom title at the 1997 World Championships in his native San Candido. He received in 1997 the Collare d’Oro for Sporting Merit from the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI). Favored at the 1998 Olympics, he did not disappoint and missed the gold medal by just 0.02 seconds. For a few days, it seemed that Prugger would be awarded the title, as winner Ross Rebagliati was initially disqualified for marijuana use, but this decision was soon overturned. Prugger retired from the sport in 2000.