nicknamed the "parisian of val d'isère" or the "madman of downhill", he was the first olympic downhill champion in 1948 at st. moritz, with a record margin of four seconds over the runner-up. he also took the gold medal in the combined event, and the bronze medal in the special slalom. he missed one of his medal ceremonies because he was playing accordion in a local bar, and received his medal a week later.