Born: 1971 (Triumph, Idaho)
Biography:
Picabo Street (/ˈpiːkəbuː/; born April 3, 1971) is an American former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist. She won the super G at the 1998 Winter Olympics and the downhill at the 1996 World Championships, along with three other Olympic and World Championship medals. Street also won World Cup downhill season titles in 1995 and 1996, the first American woman to do so, along with nine World Cup downhill race wins. Street was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2004.
Early life
Street was born at home in Triumph, Idaho; her parents are Dee (a music teacher) and Roland Stubby Street (a stonemason). Her brother Roland, Jr. is one year older. Her parents decided to let Picabo choose her own name when she was old enough, so for the first two years of her life she was called baby girl or little girl. At age three she was required to have a name in order to get a passport. She was named after the nearby village of Picabo. She was raised on a small farm in Triumph, several miles southeast of Sun Valley, where she learned to ski and race. She attended Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s School in Salt Lake City, Utah, and participated in its Rowmark Ski Academy for one year before returning to Sun Valley to race for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. Before joining the academy, she was a member of the local Hailey Ski Team.
Skiing career
Street joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1989 at the age of 17. She primarily competed in the speed events of downhill and super G, with her World Cup debut at age 21 in a slalom on December 6, 1992. Two months later, at the 1993 World Championships in Japan, she won the silver medal in the combined event.
From 1994 to 1996, Street’s career reached new heights. After her silver medal performance in the downhill at the 1994 Winter Olympics, a run was named after her at Sun Valley, on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain. The expert run formerly known as Plaza became Picabo’s Street. Street joined Christin Cooper and Gretchen Fraser as Sun Valley Olympic medalists, further solidifying her place in the history of American skiing.
By winning the 1995 downhill title, Street became the first American to win a World Cup season title in a speed event. She repeated as downhill champion the following season, adding the title of world champion with her gold medal at the 1996 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain. These achievements cemented her status as one of the greatest American female alpine skiers of all time.
However, Street faced a major setback in the 1997 season. While training in Colorado in early December 1996, she suffered an ACL injury to her left knee and missed the remainder of the season. Determined to make a comeback, Street underwent surgery and embarked on a grueling rehabilitation process.
Street’s perseverance paid off when she returned to competition in the 1998 season. At the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, she captured the gold medal in the super G, solidifying her place in skiing history. This victory made her the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the event.
In addition to her Olympic and World Championship success, Street amassed a total of nine World Cup downhill victories during her career. Her dominance in the speed events and her contributions to the U.S. Ski Team inspired a new generation of American alpine skiers.
Beyond her athletic achievements, Street is known for her vibrant personality and her unique style. Her name, Picabo, is often associated with the exclamation Peek-a-boo, adding to her charm and marketability. She used her platform as a successful athlete to promote women’s empowerment in sports and inspire young girls to pursue their dreams.
Retirement and Legacy
After the 2002 Winter Olympics, where Street finished 16th in the super G, she announced her retirement from competitive skiing. She left a lasting impact on the sport, both as a groundbreaking athlete and as a mentor to younger skiers.
In recognition of her contributions, Street was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2004. She remains an influential figure in the skiing community and continues to advocate for gender equality in sports.
Awards:
– Gold medal, super G, 1998 Winter Olympics
– Gold medal, downhill, 1996 World Championships
– Silver medal, combined event, 1993 World Championships
– Inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2004.