Erik Guay facts for kids
| Alpine skier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Guay in February 2011
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| Disciplines | Downhill, super-G | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Club | Mont-Tremblant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 5, 1981 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup debut | December 10, 2000 (age 19) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | November 2018 (age 37) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | erikguay.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 3 – (2006, 2010, 2014) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | 6 – (2003–17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medals | 3 (2 gold) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 15 – (2003–14, 2016–18) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 5 – (3 DH, 2 SG) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Podiums | 25 – (17 DH, 8 SG) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 0 – (12th in 2007) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 1 – (SG, 2010) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Erik Guay (born August 5, 1981) is a Canadian former alpine ski racer. He competed in the World Cup circuit. Erik is from Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. He won a World Cup title in super-G in 2010. He also became a world champion in downhill in 2011. Later, he won another world championship in super-G in 2017. Erik Guay has achieved 25 podium finishes in World Cup races. This makes him Canada's top male ski racer in terms of podiums.
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Erik Guay's Ski Racing Journey
Erik Guay was born in Montreal, Canada. He started ski racing at just five years old. When he was twelve, his father, who was a ski coach, helped him get professional training.
Early Career and First Podiums
Erik's first big success came in November 2003. He finished second in a downhill race at Lake Louise. In 2005, he placed second twice in super-G events. He also earned a third-place finish in a downhill race.
Before the 2006 Winter Olympics, Erik got injured. He couldn't compete in the downhill event. However, he still raced in the super-G and finished fourth. He was very close to winning a medal, missing it by just a tiny bit.
First World Cup Win and Success
The next season, Erik won his first World Cup race. This happened in Garmisch, Germany. He was the first Canadian man to win a World Cup downhill race since 1994. He was also the first man from Québec to achieve this. In the 2007 season, Erik's strong performance placed him third in the overall World Cup standings. In 2009, he had many top-20 finishes but only one podium, a third place.
Olympic Dreams and Crystal Globe
The 2010 Winter Olympics were held in Canada. Erik competed in three events in Whistler. He came very close to winning a medal, finishing fifth twice. After the Olympics, he had three podium finishes in a row in March. He won the last two super-G races of the season. This helped him win the super-G discipline title for 2010. Erik was the first Canadian man to win a crystal globe (a trophy for a discipline title) since Steve Podborski in 1982.
World Championship Gold and Injuries
Erik faced knee problems during the 2011 season. This meant he missed some races. However, at the 2011 World Championships in Garmisch, he won the downhill event. This was his only World Championship medal at the time. He was the second Canadian in a row to win the downhill world title.
Erik continued to reach the podium in the 2014 season. His win in Val Gardena in December was his fourth World Cup victory. It was also his twentieth World Cup podium. This tied him with Steve Podborski as Canada's all-time leader. A week later, he took third place in Bormio, becoming Canada's sole career leader. Erik hoped to win an Olympic medal in Sochi. However, a knee injury in January affected his performance. He finished tenth in the downhill. He was disqualified from the super-G after missing a gate. The next week, he won a downhill race in Kvitfjell, Norway. Erik missed the entire 2015 season because he was recovering from his sixth knee surgery.
Becoming the Oldest World Champion
At the 2017 World Championships in St. Moritz, Erik won the super-G event. At 35 years old, he became the oldest World Champion ever in alpine skiing. He also placed second in the downhill event that same weekend.
Erik could not compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. This was due to a back injury.
Retirement from Ski Racing
In November 2018, Erik decided to retire from ski racing. This happened just hours before he was supposed to race at Lake Louise. His teammate, Manuel Osborne-Paradis, had a bad crash. Erik had planned to retire at the end of the season. But he decided to stop sooner after hearing about his teammate's injury.
About Erik Guay's Life
Erik Guay and his wife, Karen, have four daughters. They live in Mont-Tremblant. Erik has Norwegian family roots through one of his grandmothers. Since 2009, Erik Guay has been an ambassador for the Tremblant ski resort.
Erik Guay's World Cup Achievements
Season Titles
Erik Guay won one World Cup season title:
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Super-G |
World Championship Results
Erik Guay competed in several World Championships. Here are his results:
| Year | Age | Super-G | Downhill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 21 | 6 | 6 |
| 2005 | 23 | 19 | 22 |
| 2007 | 25 | 6 | 4 |
| 2009 | 27 | 19 | DNF |
| 2011 | 29 | DNF | 1 |
| 2013 | 31 | 23 | DSQ |
| 2015 | 33 | injured, out for season | |
| 2017 | 35 | 1 | 2 |
See also
In Spanish: Erik Guay para niños
