Mike Dixon (biathlete)
Encyclopedia
Staff Sergeant
Michael Dixon, born 21 November 1962 in Fort William, Scotland
, is a combat engineer
in the British Armed Forces
who has represented Great Britain at six Olympic Games in Cross-country Skiing and Biathlon
. He is only the seventh athlete from any country to have competed at six Winter Games and is one of fewer than fifty athletes to have competed at at least six Olympic Games. He is one of only three athletes to compete in two different sports at six different Olympics, the others being Seiko Hashimoto
of Japan (speed skating, cycling) and Gerda Weissensteiner
of Italy (luge, bobsleigh).
At the 1984 Winter Olympics
in Sarajevo
, he competed as a cross-country skier
, coming 60th in the 15 km and 14th in the 4x10km relay. Shortly afterwards, he switched to the Biathlon
for the rest of his career, competing in his first event at the Biathlon World Championships
in 1987 at Lake Placid
.
At the 1988 Winter Olympics
in Calgary
, he came 21st in the 10 km sprint, 13th in the 20 km, and 13th in the 4 x 7.5 km relay.
At the 1992 Winter Olympics
in Albertville
, he came 60th in the 10 km sprint, 12th in the 20 km, and 18th in the 4 x 7.5 km relay. In the 20km race
, he was one of only three competitors (including gold medallist Yevgeniy Redkin
) not to miss any targets.
At the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer
, illness forced him into 54th place in the 20 km. His team came 17th in the 4 x 7.5 km relay. He was Britain's flag bearer at these Games, as he would be for the 1998 and 2002 Games as well.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano, he came 47th in the 10 km sprint and 33rd in the 20 km.
At his final Olympics, the 2002 Games
in Salt Lake City, he came 74th in the 10 km sprint, 79th in the 20 km, and 19th in the 4 x 7.5 km relay. He was given a surprise party at Soldier Hollow
in honour of his sixth appearance by his teammates and the international biathlon community.
After retiring, he has been working as a commentator for Eurosport
.
He led his team to victory in the BBC reality show Hercules Challenge in 2005.
He is affiliated with the 35th Engineer Regiment Hameln and the Lochaber Athletic Club.
He speaks English and German and enjoys photography, canoeing and mountain-marathons.
He is married with two children and works with junior roller skiers and biathletes in Kingussie
, Scotland. He also works as a motivational speaker and fitness instructor.
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
Michael Dixon, born 21 November 1962 in Fort William, Scotland
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
, is a combat engineer
Combat engineering
A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...
in the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
who has represented Great Britain at six Olympic Games in Cross-country Skiing and Biathlon
Biathlon at the Winter Olympics
Biathlon debuted at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley with the men's 20 km individual event. At the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, the men's 4×7.5 km relay debuted, followed by the 10 km sprint event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York...
. He is only the seventh athlete from any country to have competed at six Winter Games and is one of fewer than fifty athletes to have competed at at least six Olympic Games. He is one of only three athletes to compete in two different sports at six different Olympics, the others being Seiko Hashimoto
Seiko Hashimoto
Seiko Hashimoto is a former ice speed skater and track cycling sprinter from Japan, who represented her native country in four consecutive Winter Olympics, starting in 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea...
of Japan (speed skating, cycling) and Gerda Weissensteiner
Gerda Weissensteiner
Gerda Weissensteiner is an Italian luger and bobsleigh pilot who has competed from the late 1980s to 2006...
of Italy (luge, bobsleigh).
At the 1984 Winter Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, he competed as a cross-country skier
Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympic Games cross country skiing results. The women's 20 km debuted at these games.-15 km:February 13, 1984-30 km:February 10, 1984-50 km:February 19, 1984-4 x 10 km relay:February 16, 1984-5 km:February 12, 1984...
, coming 60th in the 15 km and 14th in the 4x10km relay. Shortly afterwards, he switched to the Biathlon
Biathlon at the Winter Olympics
Biathlon debuted at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley with the men's 20 km individual event. At the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, the men's 4×7.5 km relay debuted, followed by the 10 km sprint event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York...
for the rest of his career, competing in his first event at the Biathlon World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 1987
The 23rd Biathlon World Championships for men were held in 1987 for the second time in Lake Placid, USA. The 4th women's world championships were held in Lahti, Finland.-10 km sprint:-20 km individual:-4 x 7.5km relay:-5 km sprint:...
in 1987 at Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
.
At the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, he came 21st in the 10 km sprint, 13th in the 20 km, and 13th in the 4 x 7.5 km relay.
At the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
in Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
, he came 60th in the 10 km sprint, 12th in the 20 km, and 18th in the 4 x 7.5 km relay. In the 20km race
Biathlon at the 1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympic Games Biathlon resultsThe Biathlon competitions were held at Les Saisies, about 40 km from host city Albertville.-Medal table:-10 km sprint:February 12, 1992-20 km:February 20, 1992...
, he was one of only three competitors (including gold medallist Yevgeniy Redkin
Yevgeniy Redkin
Eugeni Leonidovitsch Redkine 1970 in Khanty-Mansiysk). is a former Russian biathlete....
) not to miss any targets.
At the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is 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. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, illness forced him into 54th place in the 20 km. His team came 17th in the 4 x 7.5 km relay. He was Britain's flag bearer at these Games, as he would be for the 1998 and 2002 Games as well.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano, he came 47th in the 10 km sprint and 33rd in the 20 km.
At his final Olympics, the 2002 Games
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City, he came 74th in the 10 km sprint, 79th in the 20 km, and 19th in the 4 x 7.5 km relay. He was given a surprise party at Soldier Hollow
Soldier Hollow
Soldier Hollow is a cross-country ski resort located southeast of Salt Lake City in Wasatch Mountain State Park, Utah, United States. The resort was created for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and during the games it hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing and the cross country skiing portion of the...
in honour of his sixth appearance by his teammates and the international biathlon community.
After retiring, he has been working as a commentator for Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
.
He led his team to victory in the BBC reality show Hercules Challenge in 2005.
He is affiliated with the 35th Engineer Regiment Hameln and the Lochaber Athletic Club.
He speaks English and German and enjoys photography, canoeing and mountain-marathons.
He is married with two children and works with junior roller skiers and biathletes in Kingussie
Kingussie
Kingussie is a small town in the Highland region of Scotland. It is one settlement in the Highland Council ward of Badenoch and Strathspey, and is the capital of the district of Badenoch. It lies beside the A9 road, although the old route of the A9 serves as the town's main street...
, Scotland. He also works as a motivational speaker and fitness instructor.