Rhona Wurtele

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Rhona Wurtele Gillis (born January 21, 1922 in Montreal ; † January 17, 2020 there ) was a Canadian ski racer . In the years after the Second World War , she and her twin sister Rhoda were among the best racers in their country. Wurtele became the first Canadian woman champion in 1946. Two more titles followed by 1952.

Wurtele won her first two US titles in 1946 when she became champion in slalom and combined. The following year she secured the combined title. In 1952, she won her fourth title at the first giant slalom run as part of the US championships. In 1948, Wurtele was the only female alpine racer in her association to take part in the Winter Olympics in St. Moritz . Due to an injury, however, she only landed on the downhill run in 37th and last place. A few weeks later she achieved third place in the downhill run of the Arlberg-Kandahar race in Chamonix . At the 1950 World Championships in Aspen , she was disqualified 14th in the downhill and slalom. In 1951 she won the downhill and the combination of the Harriman Cup in Sun Valley and in 1952 the downhill there a second time.

In memory of her athletic achievements, Wurtele was inducted into the US National Ski Hall of Fame together with her sister in 1969 , and in 1982 she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Canadian Ski Museum .

Wurtele was married to ex-ski racer Gene Gillis . Her son Jere was a successful ice hockey player in the 1970s. Her daughter Margie and son Christopher both became famous dancers and choreographers. Christopher died of AIDS in 1993 .

statistics

winter Olympics

(also counted as world championships)

World championships

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Richard Goldstein: Rhona Wurtele, One of Canada's 'Flying Twins' Ski Champions, Dies at 97. In: The New York Times , January 26, 2020 (English). Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  2. ↑ United States Ski Association (Ed.): A History. United States Ski Association. Colorado Springs 1967, pp. 77-79
  3. ↑ Results of the 1950 World Cup ( memento from September 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) on www.alpineskiing-worldchampionships.com
personal data
SURNAME Wurtele, Rhona
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wurtele Gillis, Rhona
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian ski racer
DATE OF BIRTH January 21, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Montreal , Canada
DATE OF DEATH 17th January 2020
Place of death Montreal , Canada