Theodore Sharp "Ted" Ligety was born August 31, 1984, in
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. Salt Lake City has a population of 181,698 as of July 1, 2008, making it the 125th largest city in the United States...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
. He is an
alpine ski racerAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with nordic skiing, in which skiers use free-heel bindings...
with the
U.S. Ski TeamThe United States Ski Team, operated under the auspices of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association , develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, disabled alpine, freestyle skiing, cross country, disabled cross country, ski jumping, and Nordic...
. He was the
2006The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic...
OlympicThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
gold medalist in
combinedCombined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a "discipline" of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom....
and the
2008The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
World CupThe alpine skiing World Cup is a circuit of alpine skiing competitions launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
champion in
giant slalomGiant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
. Currently, he has four World Cup victories (all in giant slalom), 15 podiums, and 48 top ten finishes.
Growing up in
Park City Mountain ResortPark City Mountain Resort is a ski resort in Park City, Utah. The resort has been a major tourist attraction for skiers from all over the United States, as well as main employer for many people in Park City. Park City, as it is often called by locals, holds many training courses for the U.S. Ski...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
, Ligety began skiing at two and started racing at eleven. He was named to the U.S. Skiing Development Team and won a silver medal in slalom in the Junior World Cup in 2004.
Theodore Sharp "Ted" Ligety was born August 31, 1984, in
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. Salt Lake City has a population of 181,698 as of July 1, 2008, making it the 125th largest city in the United States...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
. He is an
alpine ski racerAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with nordic skiing, in which skiers use free-heel bindings...
with the
U.S. Ski TeamThe United States Ski Team, operated under the auspices of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association , develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, disabled alpine, freestyle skiing, cross country, disabled cross country, ski jumping, and Nordic...
. He was the
2006The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic...
OlympicThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
gold medalist in
combinedCombined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a "discipline" of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom....
and the
2008The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
World CupThe alpine skiing World Cup is a circuit of alpine skiing competitions launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
champion in
giant slalomGiant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
. Currently, he has four World Cup victories (all in giant slalom), 15 podiums, and 48 top ten finishes.
Career
Growing up in
Park City Mountain ResortPark City Mountain Resort is a ski resort in Park City, Utah. The resort has been a major tourist attraction for skiers from all over the United States, as well as main employer for many people in Park City. Park City, as it is often called by locals, holds many training courses for the U.S. Ski...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
, Ligety began skiing at two and started racing at eleven. He was named to the U.S. Skiing Development Team and won a silver medal in slalom in the Junior World Cup in 2004. He made his first start in a World Cup event during the
2004 World CupThe 38th World Cup season began in October 2003 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded at the World Cup finals in Sestriere, Italy, in March 2004. Sestriere would host the alpine skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics....
season in the giant slalom at Park City, and he was added to the U.S. Ski Team full-time in the
2005 seasonThe 39th World Cup season began in October 2004 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2005 at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The overall winners were Bode Miller of the U.S. and Anja Pärson of Sweden....
, during which he had four top-15 finishes in slalom, placing 24th overall in the discipline.
2006 SeasonThe 2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup began in October 2005 and concluded at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden, in March 2006. The schedule for the 40th World Cup season included a nearly four-week long break in February for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy....
Ligety recorded his first World Cup podium finish in the first
slalom of the seasonMen's Slalom World Cup 2005/2006-Calendar:-Final point standings:In Men's Slalom World Cup 2005/06 all results count.Note:In the last race only the best racers were allowed to compete and only the best 15 finishers were awarded with points....
, at
Beaver CreekBeaver Creek Resort is a major U.S. ski resort near Avon, Colorado, run by Vail Resorts. The resort comprises three villages, the main Beaver Creek Village, Bachelor Gulch, and Arrowhead to the west. It is the sister resort of Vail, Colorado...
in December, and followed that up with a second and a third during the next three slaloms. Ligety's first major victory of his professional career came at the
2006 Winter OlympicsAlpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics included ten alpine skiing events. They were held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario. The alpine skiing events of the 2006 Winter Olympics began on 12 February and ended on 25 February 2006.-Medal table:...
in
TorinoTurin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch...
. Ligety won the gold medal in the men's
combinedThe results of the men's combined event in Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics....
event, a major upset after the two racers favored to win the event failed to finish the slalom portion. At age 21, he became the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in
alpine skiingAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with nordic skiing, in which skiers use free-heel bindings...
in a dozen years, since
Tommy MoeTommy Moe is a former alpine ski racer. He is now retired from international competition and lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he serves as an ambassador of skiing for the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort....
won the
downhillThe downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
at the
1994 Winter OlympicsThe 1994 Winter Olympic Games Alpine Skiing results from Lillehammer, Norway. The speed events were held at Kvitfjell and the technical events at Hafjell, from February 13-27, 1994...
in
Lillehammeris a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
. Ligety also became just the fourth American male skier to win Olympic gold, along with Moe,
Phil MahrePhilip Mahre is a retired alpine ski racer, widely regarded as one of the greatest American skiers of all time...
(slalom, 1984) and
Bill JohnsonWilliam Dean Johnson is a former ski racer with the U.S. Ski Team. He was the first American male to win an Olympic gold medal in alpine skiing, winning the downhill at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.-Olympic triumph:Raised in Sandy, Oregon, Johnson was a troubled youth who began...
(downhill, 1984). At Torino, Ligety also participated in the
giant slalomGiant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
and the
slalomSlalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
, but he failed to complete either event. Following his Olympic victory in the combined, Ligety recorded his first
World CupThe alpine skiing World Cup is a circuit of alpine skiing competitions launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
victory, a win in the giant slalom in
YongpyeongYongPyong Ski Resort is a ski resort located in Daegwallyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do of South Korea.As well as skiing facilities, the resort offers golf in the summer months. The ski season runs from November - early April. Yongpyong was a candidate resort for the 2010 Winter Olympics and...
,
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
. He finished ninth in the overall World Cup standings for the year, marking the first time that three American men had placed in the top 10 (along with
Bode MillerSamuel Bode Miller is a champion alpine ski racer.In 2008, Bode won his second overall World Cup title in four years, after also winning the title in 2005...
in third and
Daron RahlvesDaron Louis Rahlves is a former alpine ski racer with the U.S. Ski Team, widely regarded as the most successful American speed racer of all time. Raised in northern California, he attended the Green Mountain Valley School in Vermont and currently resides in Truckee, California...
in fourth), despite the fact that he did not compete in downhill or Super G that year.
2007 SeasonThe 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the...
With Rahlves' retirement, Ligety began to compete in all five events. However, he managed only two podium finishes during the season, a second in slalom and a third in giant slalom. Disappointingly, he had three fourth place finishes, one in giant slalom, one in super combined, and one in the World Cup finals downhill, as well as a fourth place finish in the
giant slalomEvent: Giant slalom MenDate: February 14, 20071st Run Start Time: 10:00 CET2nd Run Start Time: 13:00 CET- Results :...
at the world championships in
ÅreÅre is a ski area located in Åre Municipality, Jämtland, Sweden just outside and above the village of Åre, approximately 80 km from the city of Östersund. It was founded in 1909. The ski lift system is on the Åreskutan mountain with its highest peak at a height of 1420 meters, the peak can be...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
, missing a medal by 0.07 seconds. He finished eleventh overall in
2007The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the...
.
2008 SeasonThe 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
Ligety won his first
World CupThe alpine skiing World Cup is a circuit of alpine skiing competitions launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
season title in the
giant slalomGiant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
in
2008The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
, and finished fifth in the overall standings. He won the final two giant slaloms of the year at
Kranjska GoraKranjska Gora , is a town and a municipality in north-west Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is mostly famous as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps. It annually hosts an event in the Alpine skiing World Cup series, also known as the Vitranc Cup...
and
BormioBormio is a town located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Italian Alps. It currently has a population of 4,200. In addition to modern skiing facilities, the town is noted for the presence of a hot spring spa.- Geography :...
to edge out two-time defending champion
Benjamin RaichBenjamin Raich is an Austrian alpine skier who won gold medals in the giant slalom and slalom at the 2006 Winter Olympics of Turin, Italy.-Career:...
of
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
for the season title. He also recorded four other podium finishes: a second and a third in giant slalom and two thirds in slalom. In addition to his title, Ligety ranked seventh in combined and ninth in slalom.
2009 SeasonThe 43rd Alpine skiing World Cup season began on October 25, 2008, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden....
Ligety won his fourth World Cup race, all in giant slalom, at
Kranjska GoraKranjska Gora , is a town and a municipality in north-west Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is mostly famous as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps. It annually hosts an event in the Alpine skiing World Cup series, also known as the Vitranc Cup...
in February. He opened defense of his 2008 giant slalom title with a third place finish in
SöldenSölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria. At c. 467 km² , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated...
, and then placed second at
Beaver Creek- Places :United States*Beaver Creek, Colorado*Beaver Creek, Maryland*Beaver Creek, Minnesota*Beaver Creek, Montana*Beaver Creek Township, Michigan*Beaver Creek Township, MinnesotaCanada*Beaver Creek, Yukon, a town in the western Yukon Territory...
, leaving him ranked third with one race left in
2009The 43rd Alpine skiing World Cup season began on October 25, 2008, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden....
. He is also ranked ninth overall for the season. At the 2009 World Championships in
Val d'IsèreVal-d'Isère is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies 5 km from the border with Italy...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, Ligety took the bronze medal in the giant slalom.
Other achievements
Ligety has won six national championships, putting him behind the all-time record of nine, held by
Bode MillerSamuel Bode Miller is a champion alpine ski racer.In 2008, Bode won his second overall World Cup title in four years, after also winning the title in 2005...
and Tiger Shaw.
He started Shred Optics in the summer of 2006; Ligety designs all the products and uses them himself. The company produces ski goggles,
sunglassesSunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the eye pupil in order to prevent strong light, ultraviolet rays, and increasingly, blue light from penetrating...
, and helmets.
Ligety serves as the Director of Skiing for the Mt. Holly Club, a private luxury ski and golf resort in southwestern Utah. It is located in eastern
Beaver CountyBeaver County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 6,005, a 26% increase over the 1990 figure of 4,765. By 2005 the population was estimated at 6,204. It was named for the abundance of beavers in the area...
, on the site of the former Elk Meadows ski area (1971-84).
Ted Ligety currently resides in
Park CityPark City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is one of two major resort towns in Utah, the other being Moab. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back and a part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
, and is of
HungarianHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
ancestry.
Season titles
| Season |
Discipline |
| 2008 The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
|
Giant Slalom Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
|
Race victories
| Date |
Location |
Race |
| 05-Mar-2006 The 2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup began in October 2005 and concluded at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden, in March 2006. The schedule for the 40th World Cup season included a nearly four-week long break in February for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy....
|
KOR Yongpyong, South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
|
Giant Slalom Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
|
| 08-Mar-2008 The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
|
SLO Kranjska Gora Kranjska Gora , is a town and a municipality in north-west Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is mostly famous as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps. It annually hosts an event in the Alpine skiing World Cup series, also known as the Vitranc Cup...
, SloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north...
|
Giant Slalom Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
|
| 14-Mar-2008 The 42nd World Cup season began in October 2007 in Sölden, Austria and concluded on March 15, 2008, at the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy....
|
ITA Bormio Bormio is a town located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Italian Alps. It currently has a population of 4,200. In addition to modern skiing facilities, the town is noted for the presence of a hot spring spa.- Geography :...
, ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
|
Giant Slalom Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
|
| 28-Feb-2009 The 43rd Alpine skiing World Cup season began on October 25, 2008, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on March 14, 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden....
|
SLO Kranjska Gora Kranjska Gora , is a town and a municipality in north-west Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is mostly famous as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps. It annually hosts an event in the Alpine skiing World Cup series, also known as the Vitranc Cup...
, SloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north...
|
Giant Slalom Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but not as great as in super G. The number of gates in this event ranges from 56 to 70 for men and from 46 to 58 for women.Giant slalom and slalom...
|
External links