Jimmy Shea facts for kids
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Shea in 2002
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| Full name | James Edmound Shea Jr. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 10, 1968 (age 57) West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 10+1/2 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 181 lb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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James Edmound Shea Jr. (born June 10, 1968) is an American skeleton racer. He won a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Contents
About Jimmy Shea
Jimmy Shea Jr. comes from a family of Olympic athletes. He is the third generation to compete in the Winter Games.
Family Olympic History
His grandfather, Jack Shea, was a speed skater. He won two gold medals at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Jack Shea also said the athlete's oath at the opening ceremony in 1932.
Jimmy's father, Jim Shea Sr., competed in the 1964 Winter Olympics. He took part in Nordic combined and cross-country skiing.
Early Life and Career
Jimmy Shea Jr. was born in West Hartford, Connecticut. He later moved to Lake Placid, New York. This is where he started his amazing career in skeleton racing.
He was the first American to win a World Cup race in skeleton. He also became the first American to win a World Championship in the sport. Jimmy Shea Jr. has won more World Cup races than any other American skeleton racer. He stopped competing in October 2005.
World Championship Medals
Jimmy Shea Jr. earned a full set of medals at the FIBT World Championships. These are major competitions for bobsled, skeleton, and luge.
- He won a gold medal in 1999.
- He earned a silver medal in 1997.
- He took home a bronze medal in 2000. He tied for bronze with Alexander Müller from Austria.
His best overall finish in the Skeleton World Cup was third place. He achieved this twice, in the 1998–99 and 2000–01 seasons.
Life After Racing
Jimmy Shea Jr. started The Shea Family Foundation. This foundation helps raise money to support kids in sports. He also works on the Utah Board of Economic Development.
He has two daughters and one son. Jimmy Shea Jr. lives in Park City, Utah.
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City. Jimmy Shea Jr. had a special role in the opening ceremony.
He and his father, Jim Shea Sr., helped carry the Olympic Torch. They passed it to other famous athletes, Cammi Granato and Picabo Street. These athletes then passed it to the 1980 U.S. Men's Hockey Team. This team lit the Olympic Cauldron.
Jimmy Shea Jr. then went on to win the gold medal in skeleton at these Games. It was a proud moment for him and his family.
See also
- List of Olympic medalist families
