Didier Défago Bio: Age, Net Worth, Wife, Children, Height, Olympic Gold, Hahnenkamm Victory

Didier Défago is a retired Swiss alpine ski racer best known for winning the Olympic downhill gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games in Whistler — the first Swiss man to claim Olympic downhill gold in 22 years.

He also secured the prestigious Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbühel in 2009, won three World Cup downhills and one super-G, and earned Swiss national titles in downhill (2003) and giant slalom (2004).

After retiring in 2015, Défago became a respected television commentator and now serves as CEO of the 2027 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Crans-Montana.

Profile

• Full Name: Didier Défago
• Stage Name: Didier Défago
• Born: October 2, 1977
• Age: 48 years old
• Birthplace: Morgins, Valais, Switzerland
• Nationality: Swiss
• Occupation: Retired Alpine Ski Racer, CEO of Crans-Montana 2027 Organizing Committee
• Height: 1.84m
• Parents: Viktor Défago and Mrs. Défago
• Siblings: Daniel Défago
• Spouse: Sabine Défago
• Children: 2
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $4 million

Early Life and Education

Didier Défago was born on October 2, 1977, in the mountain village of Morgins in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. His father, Viktor Défago, worked as a mechanical engineer.

He grew up skiing on the local slopes of the Portes du Soleil area and has one younger brother, Daniel. Défago trained as a construction draftsman (architectural technician) before committing fully to professional ski racing in his early twenties.

He is of Swiss ethnicity, though his religious beliefs are not publicly known.

Career

Didier Défago made his World Cup debut in March 1996 at age 18 in the downhill at Kvitfjell, Norway, finishing 54th. He spent the next several seasons honing his craft on the Europa Cup circuit, winning multiple races and earning promotion to the Swiss A-team.

His first World Cup points came in 2000, and by 2002 he secured his maiden podium — third place in the classic Val Gardena downhill. He claimed his first national title in downhill in 2003 and followed it with the giant slalom crown in 2004.

The 2005 season marked his breakthrough: he won his first World Cup race in the super-G at Beaver Creek and added a downhill victory in Bormio. Défago’s 2008–09 campaign catapulted him to stardom.

He triumphed in the Lauberhorn downhill in Wengen — a Swiss national treasure — and, just eight days later, conquered the fearsome Streif in Kitzbühel, becoming only the third Swiss skier to win the Hahnenkamm downhill in over 30 years. These back-to-back victories on the sport’s most iconic courses established him as a speed-event elite.

His career pinnacle arrived at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. On the Dave Murray downhill course at Whistler, Défago launched from bib 22 and held off Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal by 0.07 seconds to claim gold — Switzerland’s first men’s Olympic downhill title since Pirmin Zurbriggen in 1988.

He followed with two more World Cup downhill wins that winter (Chamonix and Kvitfjell) and finished third overall in the downhill standings. Défago added 16 career World Cup podiums and represented Switzerland at four Olympic Games (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) and six World Championships.

Injuries, particularly to his knee and back, hampered his later years, but he remained competitive until announcing his retirement in March 2015 after the Lenzerheide World Cup finals. Post-retirement, Défago joined SRF as a lead alpine skiing commentator, providing expert analysis during Olympic and World Cup broadcasts.

In 2023 he was appointed CEO of the organizing committee for the 2027 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Crans-Montana, Valais — the first World Championships in Switzerland since St. Moritz 2003 — where he oversees infrastructure, sponsorship, and legacy planning.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: Unknown
• Facebook Handle: Didier Défago
• Twitter Handle: Unknown

Personal Life

Didier Défago married his longtime partner Sabine, and the couple has two children — a daughter born in 2007 and a son born in 2009. The family resides in Morgins, where Défago remains deeply connected to his Valais roots.

He enjoys golf, cycling, and spending time in the mountains with his wife and children.

Net Worth

Didier Défago possesses an estimated net worth of $4 million. He built his wealth through World Cup and Olympic prize money, long-term sponsorships with brands such as Head, Audi, and Raiffeisen, television commentary fees, and his current executive salary with the Crans-Montana 2027 organizing committee.