| Jimmie Heuga | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | James Frederic Heuga |
| Born | September 22, 1943 Tahoe City, California, United States |
| Died | February 8, 2010 (aged 66) Boulder, Colorado |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men’s alpine skiing | ||
| Competitor for the United States | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 1964 Innsbruck | Slalom |
James Frederic "Jimmie" Heuga (September 22, 1943 – February 8, 2010) was an American alpine ski racer who became one of the first two members of the U.S. men's team to win an Olympic medal in his sport. After multiple sclerosis prematurely ended his athletic career, he became an advocate of exercise and activity to combat the disease.
Heuga was born in Tahoe City, California on September 22, 1943. He grew up in Squaw Valley, California, where his father Pascal, a Basque immigrant from southern France, operated the resort's cable car. Jimmie Heuga was on skis at age two and began to compete in the sport at age 5; he appeared in a Warren Miller ski film at age 9. Heuga was named to the U.S. Ski Team in 1958, becoming the youngest man ever to make the squad as a 15-year-old.[1]
He went to the University of Colorado, where he met and was coached by Bob Beattie. A three-time letterman, Heuga won the 1963 NCAA championship in the slalom. With Beattie also leading the U.S. Ski Team, Heuga, along with fellow Buffaloes Buddy Werner and Bill Marolt (and future CU alumnus Billy Kidd), formed the squad's nucleus for the 1964 Winter Olympics. Both Kidd and Heuga became the first American men to win Olympic medals in Alpine skiing, respectively capturing silver and bronze in the slalom.[1]
Heuga died on February 8, 2010, at Boulder Community Hospital in Boulder, due to complications that from multiple sclerosis.[2]