Ski star and her boyfriend. © Instagram

Ski star in trouble: Now her lover steps in.

An Austrian ski racer is going through a difficult time. Her sweetheart has now stepped in to help her.

15 November 2025

From: det

Franziska Gritsch's story is a unique one. Once a great talent on the Austrian ski team, she caused a sensation at the end of 2023 when she went public with her relationship with her coach, Florian Stengg. The 28-year-old subsequently reached an agreement with the Austrian Ski Federation to operate as a private team, with her boyfriend Stengg becoming her personal coach.

Things haven't gone entirely smoothly for Gritsch in the past two years, and she's struggling again this year. The North Tyrolean skier missed qualifying for the second run in both Sölden and Levi. And recently, she received some more bad news.

My friend is now also a service technician.

Blizzard has dismissed Gritsch's ski technician. This means the all-rounder suddenly has no one to prepare her skis. "We were confronted with a completely new situation. They were very helpful and accommodating, but it was extremely difficult to find someone else," Gritsch's boyfriend and coach Stengg told the press. Tiroler TageszeitungThe result: "That ended with me now preparing my skis."

Franziska Gritsch is going through a difficult time. © APA/afp / RONI REKOMAA

Florian Stengg is now not only Gritsch's coach, but is also stepping in as her serviceman. For the skier, who was dropped from the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) squad in the spring due to poor results, crucial weeks lie ahead. She needs to deliver by the end of the year to maintain her World Cup hopes.