Ted LIGETY

Ted Ligety (born August 31, 1984 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States) was on skis at the age of two and began racing at 11. He grew up in Park City, Utah, where he caught the eye of U.S. Ski Team coaches and they watched him for a while before calling him to the U.S. Development Team. He made his WC debut in 2003 on the home snow of Park City, but failed to qualify for the second run. A slalom silver medallist in the 2004 Junior World Championships at Maribor, a couple of weeks after his first honour, Ligety earned his first WC points in the same year, placing a 23rd position in the slalom race at Kranjska Gora. 2005 was the first full year for Ligety on the WC circuit and he instantly caught the eye. The US racer dedicated more and more time to learning the speed skills continually improving his all round ability while in training he concentrated mostly on the Giant Slalom.

Ligety became a world class skier 12 months later, when he won the gold medal in the men's alpine combined event at the 2006 Winter Olympics, causing a great upset because he finished only 32nd after the downhill, but made a stunning recovery in the Slalom. A It was a dream come true for the spontaneous racer.

He was the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in alpine skiing since Tommy Moe won the downhill in Lillehammer in 1994. On March 5, 2006 he won his first World Cup race, a giant slalom in Yongpyeong, South Korea.

Ligety claimed his first World Cup globe last year, by winning the Giant Slalom discipline trophy after the WC finals in Bormio. Ligety has won 6 National Championships in the past three years, three titles behind Bode Miller and Tiger Shaw, both tied in first place with 9 US titles.

He currently lives in Park City, Utah, and is nicknamed 'Ligety Split'. He loves to hang out with friends and play all kinds of sports, from mountainbiking, tennis and waterskiing.

The American star celebrated his WC triumph in Bormio by cutting his long and blond hair and the hairdresser for this occasion was the WC Champ and fellow American Lindsey Vonn.

The following season was slightly less spectacular. Only one victory in the Kranjska Gora GS meant that he finished third in standings for the discpline but failed to impress in the slalom where he finished way down in 22nd. He also managed to take home a bronze medal at the World Championships in Val d'Isère.

In 2006 Ligety created his own brand of sunglasses and ski masks which he has named ‘Shred' coining the phrase ‘Shred it up Ted' and he manages the company with the help of an Italian factory.

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