Marilyn Cochran
Encyclopedia
Marilyn Cochran Brown is a former Alpine ski racer
and World Cup champion. In 1969
, she became the first American to win a discipline championship in the World Cup, triumphing in giant slalom
. The next year, she won a bronze medal in the combined
at the World Championships
.
". She and her younger sister Barbara Cochran
joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1967, the first season of the World Cup, and both competed until 1974. She was a three-time American national champion during her career. In the 1969 World Cup
, she finished second in five straight giant slaloms
and won the discipline championship, the first American to win a discipline title and the only American to do so before 1980. The next year, she won the bronze medal in the combined
at the World Championships
in Val Gardena, Italy
, just edging her sister Barbara but giving the Cochran family two medals when Barbara won a silver in the slalom
.
During her World Cup career, which ended at age 24, Marilyn Cochran won three World Cup races, two in giant slalom and one in slalom. She had 14 top-three finishes and 53 top-10 finishes. She also competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics
, and the World Championships
in 1974, finishing eighth in giant slalom. Cochran skied for the Madonna Mountain Ski Club and attended the University of Vermont.
After her skiing career, Cochran married Chris Brown, who had been an All-American skier at the University of Vermont
and eventually became a professor of mechanical engineering
at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
. Their son Roger Brown, who graduated from Dartmouth College
in 2004, was also an All-American, was the 2002 NCAA slalom champion and competed on the U.S. Ski Team. Their younger son Douglas Brown was captain of the ski team at St. Lawrence University
, from where he graduated in 2009.
(1 slalom, 2 giant slalom)
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
and World Cup champion. In 1969
1969 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The third World Cup season began in December 1968 and concluded in March 1969. Karl Schranz of Austria won the first of two consecutive overall titles...
, she became the first American to win a discipline championship in the World Cup, triumphing in giant slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
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 less than in super G....
. The next year, she won a bronze medal in the combined
Alpine skiing combined
Combined 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.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
at the World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970 were held in Gröden/Val Gardena, Italy, from February 8-15, 1970.For the only time, results from the World Championships were included in the World Cup points standings, then in its fourth season.-External links:...
.
History
Marilyn Cochran was the oldest child of the "Skiing CochransSkiing Cochrans
The Skiing Cochrans are a family of alpine ski racers from Richmond, Vermont. The Cochrans were a dominant force on the U.S. Ski Team in the late 1960s and early 1970s....
". She and her younger sister Barbara Cochran
Barbara Cochran
Barbara Ann Cochran is a former alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist, who competed on the World Cup circuit for seven seasons. She retired from international competition following the 1974 season.Barbara Cochran is a member of the famous "Skiing Cochrans" family, which has operated a small...
joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1967, the first season of the World Cup, and both competed until 1974. She was a three-time American national champion during her career. In the 1969 World Cup
1969 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The third World Cup season began in December 1968 and concluded in March 1969. Karl Schranz of Austria won the first of two consecutive overall titles...
, she finished second in five straight giant slaloms
Giant Slalom skiing
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 less than in super G....
and won the discipline championship, the first American to win a discipline title and the only American to do so before 1980. The next year, she won the bronze medal in the combined
Alpine skiing combined
Combined 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.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
at the World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970 were held in Gröden/Val Gardena, Italy, from February 8-15, 1970.For the only time, results from the World Championships were included in the World Cup points standings, then in its fourth season.-External links:...
in Val Gardena, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, just edging her sister Barbara but giving the Cochran family two medals when Barbara won a silver in the slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom 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 :...
.
During her World Cup career, which ended at age 24, Marilyn Cochran won three World Cup races, two in giant slalom and one in slalom. She had 14 top-three finishes and 53 top-10 finishes. She also competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
, and the World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1974 were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from February 3-10, 1974.St. Moritz would host the event again in 2003, and hosted the 1948 Winter Olympics and the 1928 Winter Olympics .-External links:...
in 1974, finishing eighth in giant slalom. Cochran skied for the Madonna Mountain Ski Club and attended the University of Vermont.
After her skiing career, Cochran married Chris Brown, who had been an All-American skier at the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
and eventually became a professor of mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
. Their son Roger Brown, who graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 2004, was also an All-American, was the 2002 NCAA slalom champion and competed on the U.S. Ski Team. Their younger son Douglas Brown was captain of the ski team at St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
, from where he graduated in 2009.
Season titles
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 1969 1969 Alpine Skiing World Cup The third World Cup season began in December 1968 and concluded in March 1969. Karl Schranz of Austria won the first of two consecutive overall titles... |
Giant Slalom |
Individual victories
3 total wins(1 slalom, 2 giant slalom)
| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 13 February 1971 1971 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 5th World Cup season began in December 1970 in Italy and concluded in March 1971 in Sweden. Gustav Thöni of Italy won the first of his three consecutive overall titles... |
 Mont St. AnneMont-Sainte-Anne Mont-Sainte-Anne is a ski resort in the city of Beaupré, Quebec, Canada, located about northeast of Quebec City. The mountain has a summit elevation of 800 metres above sea level and a vertical drop of 625 m . There are 66 trails covering on three different sides of the mountain... |
Slalom |
| 26 January 1973 1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive.... |
 ChamonixChamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics... |
Giant slalom |
| 15 March 1973 1973 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 7th World Cup season began in December 1972 in France and concluded in March 1973 in the United States. Gustav Thöni of Italy won his third consecutive overall title and Annemarie Pröll of Austria won the women's overall title, her third of five consecutive.... |
 NaebaNaeba is a stratovolcano on the border of Nagano and Niigata prefectures in central Honshū, Japan. It is about from Tokyo. It was active between 200,000 and 800,000 years ago. It is made of primarily andesite.-References:*... |
Giant slalom |