Ophélie David
Encyclopedia
Ophélie David (born July 6, 1976) is a French
freestyle skier
specializing in ski cross, an event in which she is the reigning six-time world champion in, and has won four consecutive times at the Winter X Games as well as being ranked number one in the world in since 2004.
David began her career as an alpine skier
, competing for Hungary
at the 1994 Winter Olympics
in both the slalom and the combined, both of which she failed to finish. David was able to compete for Hungary because her father, János Rácz, held Hungarian citizenship and had competed for that country in basketball
at the 1964 Summer Olympics
.
David qualified to compete in the inaugural Winter Olympic Ski Cross
race in Vancouver
. She was considered the odds-on favorite for gold due to her long-time dominance in the discipline, but crashed out in the quarterfinals and was placed ninth.
, where her retired parents still reside.
She is married to Phil David, who is very supportive of her career. They have a daughter named Lilou, born in 1999 (2000?). The family is very close, making frequent use of Skype
while Ophélie travels for competitions.
Her hobbies include recreational gymnastics, basketball, windsurfing, traveling, painting, books, and cinema. She is also a competitive mountain biker, her biggest win being the 2008 Megavalanche
race. During the summer, she is involved with sports camps for children, and during the winter is a ski instructor.
She speaks French and English.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
freestyle skier
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
specializing in ski cross, an event in which she is the reigning six-time world champion in, and has won four consecutive times at the Winter X Games as well as being ranked number one in the world in since 2004.
David began her career as an alpine skier
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...
, competing for Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
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 both the slalom and the combined, both of which she failed to finish. David was able to compete for Hungary because her father, János Rácz, held Hungarian citizenship and had competed for that country in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 1964 Summer Olympics took place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan from October 11 to October 23. The United States defeated the Soviet Union to win their sixth straight gold medal at this event, while Brazil earned the bronze against Puerto...
.
David qualified to compete in the inaugural Winter Olympic Ski Cross
Freestyle skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's ski cross
The women's ski cross event in freestyle skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, took place on 23 February at Cypress Bowl Ski Area.-Qualification:-1/8 Round:The top 32 qualifiers advanced to the 1/8 round...
race in Vancouver
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. She was considered the odds-on favorite for gold due to her long-time dominance in the discipline, but crashed out in the quarterfinals and was placed ninth.
Personal life
Ophélie grew up on the island of CorsicaCorsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, where her retired parents still reside.
She is married to Phil David, who is very supportive of her career. They have a daughter named Lilou, born in 1999 (2000?). The family is very close, making frequent use of Skype
Skype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
while Ophélie travels for competitions.
Her hobbies include recreational gymnastics, basketball, windsurfing, traveling, painting, books, and cinema. She is also a competitive mountain biker, her biggest win being the 2008 Megavalanche
Megavalanche
Megavalanche is a mountainbike downhill marathon style event that mixes gravity-assisted excitement with enduro levels of fitness, guaranteed to test both nerve and physique...
race. During the summer, she is involved with sports camps for children, and during the winter is a ski instructor.
She speaks French and English.
External links
- FIS-Ski.com Biography/Results
- NBC Olympics Page