Do you believe in miracles? This famous question asked by ABC announcer Al Michaels during the 1980 Winter Olympics at the end of the Us-Russia hockey game could also have been asked of France's Joel Chenal, a quiet and shy racer from the Savoy region who suddenly turned into a lion on a day in December 1999. Before the third giant slalom of the season, held on the treacherous slope of Alta Badia, in Northern Italy, this modest athlete never scored better than a couple of 5th places. He had a honest season start with a 10th place at Tignes in front of his home crowd before taking 14th place later on in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

That day in December, he was aiming for a top-5 result and skied without too much pressure in the second run after clocking the 6th best time in the first run. His combined time could not be beat, even by Hermann Maier, who was within 2/100 of a second. "Jo" became the first Frenchman to win that "classical" competition, considered one of the most difficult.

In the following races, Joel confirmed his talent with several top-10 results, including a 3rd and a 2nd, in Korea and Kranjska Gora, respectively. At the end, he conquered an excellent 5th position in the GS World Cup standings, the best ranking for the French team in that event for years.

In slalom he ended in 32nd position which helped him to secure a better start order for the coming season.

His trainers like to compare him to Switzerland's Michale von Grunigen: in fact, both skiers are very quiet people, both on and off the slopes and both excel on difficult terrain. Joel, who turned 27 in October, has competed on the World Cup tour since 1996. His progression is like his style, discreet, yet solid and consistent.

A speed skier in the early '90s, Chenal focused on the technical specialties after a crash in downhill at the French championships in 1994. He tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in that accident which slowed down his career.

Ironically, this quiet champion is followed around the world by one of the most demonstrative fan club on the World Cup circuit. They all live in his small village of La Rosiere, a Savoy resort of 500 people situated high in the mountains on the spectacular pass of the Petit St Bernard joining the valley of Aosta, in Italy, to Bourg St Maurice, in France. That road is closed during wintertime and there is nothing else to do but ski.