Julia Mancuso facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Julia Mancuso

Alpine skier
Mancuso in December 2006
Disciplines	Downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, combined
Club	Squaw Valley Ski Team
Born	(1984-03-09) March 9, 1984 (age 41) Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
World Cup debut	November 20, 1999 (age 15)
Retired	January 19, 2018 (age 33)
Website	juliamancuso.com
Olympics
Teams	4 – (2002–14)
Medals	4 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams	7 – (2003–15)
Medals	5 (0 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	14th – (2002–15)
Wins	7 – (3 DH, 2 SG, 1 SC, 1 CE)
Podiums	36
Overall titles	0 – (3rd in 2007)
Discipline titles	0 – (2nd in DH & K, 2007,     & SG, 2012, 2013)
Medal record Women's alpine skiing Representing the  United States International alpine ski competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 2 1 World Championships 0 2 3 Total 1 4 4 Olympic Games Gold 2006 Turin Giant slalom Silver 2010 Vancouver Downhill Silver 2010 Vancouver Combined Bronze 2014 Sochi Combined World Championships Silver 2007 Åre Combined Silver 2011 Garmisch Super-G Bronze 2005 Bormio Super-G Bronze 2005 Bormio Giant slalom Bronze 2013 Schladming Super-G Junior World Ski Championships Gold 2002 Tarvisio Downhill Gold 2002 Tarvisio Giant slalom Gold 2002 Tarvisio Combined Gold 2003 Puy St. Vincent Super-G Gold 2004 Maribor Combined Bronze 2001 Verbier Combined Bronze 2003 Puy St. Vincent Downhill Bronze 2004 Maribor Super-G

Julia Marie Mancuso (born March 9, 1984) is a famous American alpine ski racer who is now retired. She is an Olympic gold medalist and also hosts a podcast. Julia won a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She also earned two silver medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics in downhill and combined events. Later, she won a bronze medal in the combined event at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Julia Mancuso also won five medals at the World Championships. She achieved seven wins in regular World Cup races. Her four Olympic medals are the most ever won by an American female alpine skier.

Julia's Ski Racing Journey

Early Career and Junior Success

Julia Mancuso started her World Cup career at just 15 years old. Her first race was on November 20, 1999, in Colorado. She earned her first World Cup points in 2001, meaning she finished in the top 30.

Even though she sometimes struggled in World Cup races early on, Julia was incredibly successful at the Junior World Championships. She won a record eight medals there, including five gold medals between 2002 and 2004. At 17, she competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, finishing 13th in the combined event.

Rising to the Top in World Cup Skiing

Julia's World Cup results got much better in 2005. She moved up to ninth place overall from 55th the year before. At the 2005 World Championships, she won bronze medals in both the super-G and the giant slalom. In 2006, she got her first World Cup podium, finishing second in a super-G race.

Her gold medal at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics was a big surprise. She had only finished in the top three a few times that season. One of those was a third place in the giant slalom just before the Olympics.

Julia won the race even though she had pain in her right knee. Doctors later found out she had hip dysplasia. She finished the 2006 season in eighth place overall. She had three podium finishes, but sometimes she could barely walk by the end of the season.

Overcoming Challenges and Big Wins

After the 2006 season, Julia had surgery on her right hip. Doctors removed a small bone spur. After several months of rest, she started training again in South America. By the start of the 2007 season, she was almost fully recovered.

Julia Mancuso at Aspen in November 2006

Julia Mancuso in December 2006

The 2007 season was a huge year for Julia on the World Cup circuit. She won her first World Cup race on December 19, 2006, a downhill race in France. She won three more races that season: a super-G, a super combined, and another downhill. At the 2007 World Championships in Sweden, she won a silver medal in the super combined. She ended the season in third place overall. This was the best finish for an American woman since 1984.

After 2008, Julia didn't get a top-three finish in World Cup events for almost two years. This was due to back problems. So, her silver medal in the women's downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was another surprise. The very next day, she won another silver medal in the women's super combined. This event includes both a downhill and a slalom run.

Later Career and Retirement

At the 2011 World Championships in Germany, Julia showed her strength again. She won the silver medal in the super-G. A month later, she won her first World Cup race in over four years. This was a downhill victory in Switzerland. After a terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan, she donated half of her race earnings to help.

Over the next three seasons until 2013, Julia was on the World Cup podium many times. She placed well in different events. Before the 2014 Olympics, she took a break from the World Cup to get ready. Her plan worked! She won her fourth Olympic medal, a bronze, in the women's super combined at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She was first in the downhill part of the race.

In the 2014-15 season, Julia had her last World Cup podium finish. She placed third in a downhill race in Canada. After this season, Julia had hip surgery for ongoing pain. Because of this, she missed the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.

Julia returned to racing in December 2017. She announced her retirement the next month. Her final race was a downhill in Italy, where she wore a Wonder Woman outfit and a cape. Julia was known for being especially strong in big championships. She won nine Olympic and World Championship medals from 40 starts.

World Cup Results

Season Standings

Source:

Race Podiums

• 7 wins – (3 DH, 2 SG, 1 SC, 1 CE)
• 36 podiums – (12 DH, 15 SG, 5 GS, 3 SC, 1 CE)

World Championship Results

Olympic Results

Julia's Life and Interests

Mancuso in January 2011

Julia Mancuso's teammates and fans call her "Super Jules." After she won her Olympic gold medal in 2006, a ski run at Squaw Valley Ski Resort was renamed "Julia's Gold."

In 2005, her coach gave her a plastic tiara for good luck. She sometimes wore it over her helmet during races. She wore her tiara after winning her silver medal in the downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics. In 2010, Julia started her own line of activewear called Kiss My Tiara.

In December 2006, Lange ski boots chose Julia as their first "Lange Girl Athlete." This meant she would be featured in posters and images to show off amazing women ski athletes. She later changed her ski equipment brands over the years.

During the 2010 Winter Olympics, VISA made an animated commercial about Julia. It showed how she drew a picture of herself as a gold medalist when she was a child. The commercial ended with a photo of her after winning her gold medal in 2006. She also appeared in a commercial for 24 Hour Fitness. In 2012, Julia was in a video promotion for GoPro.

Personal Life

Julia Mancuso was born in Reno, Nevada. She grew up in the Lake Tahoe area with her two sisters. She graduated from The Winter Sports School in Utah in 2000. She now lives in Olympic Valley, California.

Julia dated Norwegian alpine skier Aksel Lund Svindal for four years. They separated in September 2013. During her time off from skiing due to injury, Julia married surfer Dylan Fish. In July 2019, Julia and Dylan welcomed their son, Sonny Fish Mancuso.

In her free time, Julia enjoys other sports like surfing and freeride skiing. In 2016, she was in a movie called "Shades of Winter. Between" with other extreme sport athletes. Julia is a role model in Lake Tahoe. She often helps young racers by selling or giving them her old racing suits.

Images for kids

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  Mancuso in December 2006

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  Mancuso at Aspen in November 2006

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  Mancuso in December 2006

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  Mancuso in January 2011

See also

In Spanish: Julia Mancuso para niños