Tamara McKinney
Encyclopedia
Tamara McKinney is a former alpine ski racer
, a member of the U.S. Ski Team
from 1978-89. She was the overall World Cup
champion in 1983
, the only American woman to hold that title for a quarter century, until Lindsey Vonn in 2008
.
, Kentucky
, the diminutive McKinney (5'4", 115 lb. / 162 cm, 52 kg) grew up in Squaw Valley, California
, the youngest of seven children. She raced on the World Cup
circuit for 11 seasons, making her first podium at age 16, in December 1978
. She won four medals in the World Championships; bronze medals in the combined
(1985
, 1987
) and slalom
(1989
), and a gold medal in the combined
at Vail
in 1989.
While winning the overall World Cup
in 1983
at age 20, she also won the giant slalom
title, which she also had won in 1981
. In 1984
McKinney won the slalom
title, and took fourth place in the giant slalom
at the Winter Olympics
in Sarajevo
.
Tamara McKinney retired from competitive ski racing at age 26, following the 1989 World Cup
season. She had 18 World Cup victories, 45 podiums, and 99 top ten finishes.
Eight of her victories were in the U.S., with six at Waterville Valley
, New Hampshire
, which included double victories in 1983 and 1984. Along with Gretchen Fraser
and Andrea Mead-Lawrence
, McKinney is regarded as one of the top female alpine ski racers in U.S. history.
She was inducted in the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
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...
, a member of the U.S. Ski Team
United States Ski Team
The 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, adaptive alpine, freestyle skiing, cross country, adaptive cross country, ski jumping, and nordic combined....
from 1978-89. She was the overall World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international 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 1983
1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title...
, the only American woman to hold that title for a quarter century, until Lindsey Vonn in 2008
2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup
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....
.
Life and career
Born in LexingtonLexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, the diminutive McKinney (5'4", 115 lb. / 162 cm, 52 kg) grew up in Squaw Valley, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the youngest of seven children. She raced on the World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international 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...
circuit for 11 seasons, making her first podium at age 16, in December 1978
1979 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 13th World Cup season began in December 1978 in Austria and concluded in March 1979 in Japan.The overall winners were Peter Lüscher of Switzerland and Annemarie Moser-Pröll of Austria.-Calendar:- Men's Overall Results:...
. She won four medals in the World Championships; bronze medals 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:...
(1985
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1985
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1985 were held in Bormio, northern Italy between January 31 and February 10, 1985.These were the first world championships held in an odd-numbered year, and the last without the Super-G event....
, 1987
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1987
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1987 were held in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, between January 27 and February 8, 1987.The world championships included Super-G for the first time; it was first run on the World Cup level four seasons earlier, in December 1982.-Medals table:...
) and 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 :...
(1989
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989 were held in Vail, Colorado, U.S.A., from February 2-12, 1989.Vail and Beaver Creek would also host the World Championships a decade later, in 1999....
), and a gold 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 Vail
Vail, Colorado
The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived...
in 1989.
While winning the overall World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international 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...
in 1983
1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title...
at age 20, she also won the 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....
title, which she also had won in 1981
1981 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 15th World Cup season began in December 1980 in France and concluded in March 1981 in Switzerland. Phil Mahre became the first American to win an overall title, the first of his three consecutive overall titles....
. In 1984
1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland....
McKinney won 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 :...
title, and took fourth place in the 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....
at the Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia .The men's races were held at Bjelašnica, the women's at Jahorina from February 13-19, 1984....
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....
.
Tamara McKinney retired from competitive ski racing at age 26, following the 1989 World Cup
1989 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 23rd World Cup season began in November 1988 in Austria and concluded in March 1989 in Japan.The overall champions were Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg and Vreni Schneider of Switzerland....
season. She had 18 World Cup victories, 45 podiums, and 99 top ten finishes.
Eight of her victories were in the U.S., with six at Waterville Valley
Waterville Valley Resort
Waterville Valley is a ski resort in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire. The resort's motto is "Altitude without the Attitude". Built on Mount Tecumseh, with a summit elevation of above sea level, the ski trails extend to a high point on the south ridge of the mountain at ,...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, which included double victories in 1983 and 1984. Along with Gretchen Fraser
Gretchen Fraser
Gretchen Kunigk Fraser was an alpine ski racer. She was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal for skiing....
and Andrea Mead-Lawrence
Andrea Mead-Lawrence
Andrea Mead Lawrence was an American alpine ski racer. She competed in three Winter Olympics and was the first American alpine skier to win two Olympic gold medals.-Skiing career:...
, McKinney is regarded as one of the top female alpine ski racers in U.S. history.
She was inducted in the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
Season titles
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 1981 1981 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 15th World Cup season began in December 1980 in France and concluded in March 1981 in Switzerland. Phil Mahre became the first American to win an overall title, the first of his three consecutive overall titles.... |
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.... |
| 1983 1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title... |
Overall |
| Giant Slalom | |
| 1984 1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland.... |
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 :... |
Individual victories
| Season | Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 1981 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 15th World Cup season began in December 1980 in France and concluded in March 1981 in Switzerland. Phil Mahre became the first American to win an overall title, the first of his three consecutive overall titles.... |
January 20, 1981 |  Haute-NendazHaute-Nendaz The resort/commune of Haute-Nendaz is located in the Swiss canton of Valais, comprising the villages of Nendaz, Siviez, and Basse-Nendaz.Haute-Nendaz is situated on a plateau at an altitude between 1300m and 1500m. In winter it forms part of the Four Valleys and is one of the most extensive ski... |
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.... |
| January 24, 1981 |  Les GetsLes Gets Les Gets is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The village's first single person chair lift was opened in 1938 with the first chair lift on Mont Chery in 1954.-Geography:... |
Giant Slalom | |
| February 28, 1981 |  Waterville ValleyWaterville Valley Resort Waterville Valley is a ski resort in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire. The resort's motto is "Altitude without the Attitude". Built on Mount Tecumseh, with a summit elevation of above sea level, the ski trails extend to a high point on the south ridge of the mountain at ,... , NH New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... |
Giant Slalom | |
| March 8, 1981 | Aspen Aspen, Colorado The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005... , CO Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
Giant Slalom | |
| 1983 1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title... |
December 5, 1982 |  Limone PiemonteLimone Piemonte Limone Piemonte is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km south of Turin and about 20 km south of Cuneo, on the border with France... |
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 :... |
| January 9, 1983 | Davos |
Slalom | |
| January 23, 1983 | Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The village is best known for tourism, and has been a popular holiday destination because of its beauty and location since the Early 1900's.... |
Giant Slalom | |
| March 8, 1983 | Waterville Valley, NH |
Giant Slalom | |
| March 9, 1983 | Waterville Valley, NH |
Giant Slalom | |
| March 13, 1983 | Vail Vail, Colorado The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived... , CO |
Giant Slalom | |
| March 20, 1983 |  FuranoFurano, Hokkaido is a city in the prefecture of Hokkaido located in the southern reaches of Kamikawa Subprefecture, under whose jurisdiction it resides. Well-known throughout Japan as a tourism destination, it is famous for its lavender fields, the television drama Kita no Kuni kara and the Furano Ski Resort, which... |
Slalom | |
| 1984 1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland.... |
March 10, 1984 | Waterville Valley, NH |
Giant Slalom |
| March 11, 1984 | Waterville Valley, NH |
Slalom | |
| March 23, 1984 |  ZwieselZwiesel Zwiesel is a town in the district of Regen, in Bavaria, Germany.-Geography:Zwiesel is situated in the Bavarian Forest, lying south of Bodenmais and to the northwest of Grafenau... |
Giant Slalom | |
| March 24, 1984 |  OsloOslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
Slalom | |
| 1985 1985 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 19th World Cup season began in December 1984 in Italy and concluded in March 1985 in the United States. The overall champions were Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg and Michela Figini of Switzerland.... |
January 5, 1985 |  MariborMaribor Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor.... |
Slalom |
| March 16, 1985 | Waterville Valley, NH |
Slalom | |
| 1987 1987 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 21st World Cup season began in August 1986 in Argentina, resumed in late November, and concluded in March 1987 in Sarajevo. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Maria Walliser, both of Switzerland.... |
December 18, 1986 | Courmayeur Courmayeur Courmayeur is an Italian town and comune in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy. It is located at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in western Europe, in the Graian Alps range, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea... |
Slalom |
| January 11, 1987 |  MellauMellau Mellau is a town in the Bregenzerwald, Vorarlberg, Austria, part of the district Bregenz. As of 2008 it had a population of 1,298.-History:... |
Slalom |
External links
- Ski-DB.com - Results - Tamara McKinney
- Ski World Cup.org - biography - Tamara McKinney
- TIME.com - "For Purple Mountains' Majesty" (March 21, 1983)
- TIME.com - "Their Success Is All in the Family" (January 30, 1984)
- Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame (2004)