Debbie Armstrong
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Women’s alpine skiing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1984 Sarajevo | Giant slalom | |
Deborah Rae ("Debbie") Armstrong (born December 6, 1963 in Salem, Oregon) is an American alpine skier. She was the United States' first gold medalist in the women's giant slalom, taking first at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
Armstrong was a multisport athlete at Garfield High School in Seattle, playing basketball and soccer from 1976-1980. After being named to the U.S. downhill team, she broke a leg, and was unable to compete. She finished second in the combined event in 1983 U.S. Nationals, and third in the 1983 World Cup super G.
At the 1984 Winter Olympics, she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in skiing since Andrea Mead-Lawrence won double-gold 32 years earlier in 1952. Armstrong's success happened the same year that Phil Mahre and Bill Johnson became the first American men to win Olympic gold in skiing as well. Taking the silver medal behind her was Sun Valley's Christin Cooper. All four medalists were from the Northwest USA
Since her retirement from competitive skiing in 1988, Armstrong has led various humanitarian causes, including the Debbie Armstrong Say No to Alcohol and Drugs Campaign; the SKIFORALL Foundation, which opens skiing events to the disabled; and Global ReLeaf Sarajevo, which seeks to reforest Sarajevo after the Bosnian war.
Today, she serves as Alpine Technical Director for the Steamboat Ski and Snowboard School, a world-renowned ski resort located in the community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. As Technical Director, Armstrong teaches ski lessons, gives skiers mountain tours, and offers speaking engagements.
[edit] External links
- FIS-Ski: Debbie Armstrong - statistics
- Ski-db.com - results - Debbie Armstrong
- Hickok Sports.com - bio for Debbie Armstrong
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