Tamara McKinney

Tamara McKinney (born October 16, 1962) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from the United States. She won four World Cup season titles, most notably the 1983 overall, the only American woman to hold that title for a quarter century, until Lindsey Vonn in 2008. McKinney's other three season titles were in giant slalom (1981, 1983) and slalom (1984). She was a world champion in the combined event in 1989, her final year of competition. Her half-brother Steve McKinney was a record holding speed skier.

Tamara McKinney
Alpine skier
DisciplinesGiant Slalom, Slalom, Combined
Born (1962-10-16) October 16, 1962
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
World Cup debutDecember 1978 (age 16)
RetiredNovember 1990 (age 28)[1]
Websitetamaramckinney.com
Olympics
Teams3 – (1980, 1984, 1988)
Medals0
World Championships
Teams5 – (1980–1989)
Medals4 (1 gold)
World Cup
Seasons11 – (1979–1989)
Wins18 – (9 GS, 9 SL)
Podiums45
Overall titles1 – (1983)
Discipline titles3 – (2 GS, 1 SL)
Medal record
Women's alpine skiing
Representing the
 United States
World Championships
1989 VailCombined
1989 VailSlalom
1987 Crans-MontanaCombined
1985 BormioCombined

Life and career

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, the diminutive McKinney (5 ft 4 in (1.63 m), 115 lb (52 kg)) grew up in Squaw Valley, California, the youngest of seven children.[2][3]

She made her World Cup debut in December 1978 at age 16 with a podium finish in a slalom in Italy. Her first World Cup victory came at age 18 in January 1981, the first of four wins in giant slalom that breakthrough season. McKinney raced on the World Cup circuit for eleven seasons, and competed in three Olympics and five world championships. 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 had first won in 1981. In 1984 McKinney won the slalom title, and took fourth place in the giant slalom at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, behind teammates Debbie Armstrong and Christin Cooper.[4][5][6][7]

While training for the upcoming 1990 season, McKinney broke her left leg (for the third time) in Saas Fee, Switzerland, in mid-October 1989.[8] Slow to recover, she announced her retirement in November 1990 at age 28[1] and completed her career with 18 World Cup victories, 45 podiums, and 99 top ten finishes.[9] 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, Andrea Mead-Lawrence, Lindsey Vonn, and Mikaela Shiffrin, 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, and is a realtor in the Lake Tahoe area.

World Cup results

Season standings
SeasonAgeOverallSlalomGiant
Slalom		Super GDownhillCombined
197916252113not
run		——
198017141024——
198118671—12
1982199124——
198320121not
awarded
(w/ GS)		—6
198421313—9
1985228211—17
19862324142031—28
198724621032——
19882554—19———
19892611313——8
199027injured in October, missed entire season

Season titles
Season Discipline
1981Giant Slalom
1983Overall
Giant Slalom
1984Slalom

Race victories
  • 18 wins - (9 GS, 9 SL)
  • 45 podiums
Season Date Location Discipline
198120 Jan 1981   Haute-Nendaz, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
24 Jan 1981 Les Gets, FranceGiant slalom
8 Mar 1981 Aspen, CO, USAGiant slalom
19835 Dec 1982 Limone Piemonte, ItalySlalom
9 Jan 1983   Davos, SwitzerlandSlalom
23 Jan 1983 St. Gervais, FranceGiant slalom
8 Mar 1983 Waterville Valley, NH, USAGiant slalom
9 Mar 1983Giant slalom
13 Mar 1983 Vail, CO, USAGiant slalom
20 Mar 1983 Furano, JapanSlalom
198410 Mar 1984 Waterville Valley, NH, USAGiant slalom
11 Mar 1984Slalom
21 Mar 1984 Zwiesel, West GermanyGiant slalom
24 Mar 1984 Oslo, NorwaySlalom
19855 Jan 1985 Maribor, YugoslaviaSlalom
16 Mar 1985 Waterville Valley, NH, USASlalom
198718 Dec 1986 Courmayeur, ItalySlalom
11 Jan 1987 Mellau, AustriaSlalom

World championship results
  Year   Age  Slalom  Giant 
 Slalom 		Super-GDownhillCombined
198017DNF1DNF1not run——
198219DNF16——
198522DNFDNF—3
198724DNF118——3
1989263DNF——1

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.

Olympic results

  Year   Age  Slalom  Giant 
 Slalom 		Super-GDownhillCombined
198017DNF1DNF1not run—not run
198421DNF14—
198825DNF1DNF1———

Video
  • You Tube.com – 1989 World Championships – gold medal in combined

References
  1. "Champion skier retires". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 28, 1990. p. 2B.
  2. Johnson, William Oscar (February 7, 1983). "To her, speed thrills". Sports Illustrated. p. 40.
  3. Beech, Mark (March 18, 2002). "Catching up with: Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, skiers". Sports Illustrated. p. 21.
  4. Nelson, John (February 13, 1984). "America discovers gold and silver on alpine hills". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Associated Press. p. D1.
  5. "USA strikes gold in Winter Games". Nashua Telegraph. (New Hampshire). Associated Press. February 14, 1984. p. 19.
  6. "America cheers its first champion". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services reports. February 14, 1984. p. 1D.
  7. Johnson, William Oscar (February 20, 1984). "'Have fun! Have fun! Have fun!'". Sports Illustrated. p. 18.
  8. "Tamara McKinney breaks leg, might miss entire World Cup". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Associated Press. October 19, 1989. p. D5.
  9. Ski-db.com - Tamara McKinney - accessed 2010-11-28
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