Ted Ligety

An alpine ski racer and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Ted Ligety has achieved a number of victories that, combined, have earned him recognition as a brilliant athlete and one of the all-time great men's skiers. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ligety began skiing as a toddler, at the age of two, and then began racing at the age of ten. His professional career began after he graduated from high school in 2002, when he was named to the U.S. Skiing Development team. He won a silver medal at the 2004 Junior World Championships in the slalom competition, and made his World Cup debut that same year in the giant slalom. In 2005, he joined the U.S. Ski Team full-time, and he made his Olympic debut during the 2006 Winter Games, where he won the gold medal in alpine skiing, the first American male competitor to do so since 1994. He continued to compete in World Cup events as well, scoring a number of victories and setting impressive new records. Ligety was on the Olympic team again for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, though he did not receive a medal this year. He again competed for the U.S. at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and brought home the gold medal in the giant slalom event. Ligety continued to rack up World Cup victories as well, and with 24 World Cup wins, three World Championship gold medals, and five World Cup titles, in addition to his two Olympic gold medals, he is considered one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time. He is also the co-founder of Shred Optics, a sports manufacturer with a focus on sunglasses, helmets, and goggles that are designed for outdoor sports and recreation. In January 2018 he qualifed for the U.S. Olympic team, representing the U.S. at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.