Picabo Street facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Picabo Street

Alpine skier
Picabo Street in October 1999
Disciplines	Downhill, Super-G, Combined
Born	(1971-04-03) April 3, 1971 (age 54) Triumph, Idaho, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
World Cup debut	December 6 1992 (age 21)
Retired	February 2002 (age 30)
Olympics
Teams	3 – (1994, 1998, 2002)
Medals	2 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams	2 – (1993, 1996)
Medals	3 (1 gold)
Medal record Women's alpine skiing Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1998 Nagano Super-G Silver 1994 Lillehammer Downhill World Championships Gold 1996 Sierra Nevada Downhill Silver 1993 Morioka Combined Bronze 1996 Sierra Nevada Super-G

Picabo Street (born April 3, 1971) is a famous American alpine ski racer who won an Olympic gold medal. She was a star in the fast-paced events of downhill and Super-G.

Street won the super-G race at the 1998 Winter Olympics. She also became a world champion in downhill at the 1996 World Championships. In total, she earned five medals from the Olympics and World Championships.

She was the first American woman to win the World Cup season title for downhill, which she did in both 1995 and 1996. For her amazing career, Picabo Street was added to the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2004.

A Unique Name and a Love for Skiing

Picabo Street was born in Triumph, Idaho. Her parents, Dee and Roland Street, wanted her to choose her own name. For the first few years of her life, she was just called "baby girl." When she was three, she needed a name for a passport. She was named after the nearby town of Picabo.

Street grew up on a small farm near the famous ski town of Sun Valley. This is where she learned to ski and race. She joined the Hailey Ski Team and later attended a special ski academy to improve her skills.

Racing to the Top

At age 17, Street joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1989. She was very good at the speed events, which are the fastest and most exciting races in skiing. She made her World Cup debut when she was 21. Just two months later, she won a silver medal at the 1993 World Championships in Japan.

Olympic and World Champion

At the 1994 Winter Olympics, Street won a silver medal in the downhill race. To honor her, a ski run at Sun Valley was named "Picabo's Street."

In 1995, she became the first American to win the World Cup season title in a speed event. She proved it wasn't a fluke by winning the title again the next year. In 1996, she also won a gold medal at the World Championships in Spain, making her the world champion in downhill.

Overcoming Major Injuries

Street's career had some difficult challenges. In late 1996, she had a serious injury to her left knee called an ACL injury. This forced her to miss the rest of the ski season.

She made an incredible comeback and won a gold medal in the super-G at the 1998 Winter Olympics. But just a month later, she had a terrible crash during a race in Switzerland. She broke her left leg and tore the ACL in her right knee. It took two years of hard work and physical therapy for her to recover.

Street returned to racing in late 2000. She competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah before retiring from her amazing career.

Life Off the Slopes

Picabo Street also became a familiar face on television. She appeared on shows like Nickelodeon GUTS and American Gladiators, where she showed off her strength.

After her Olympic success, she became a spokesperson for popular brands like Mountain Dew and ChapStick. She also worked with a company to help design new ski helmets.

In 2001, she wrote a book about her life called Picabo: Nothing to Hide. In the book, she shared stories about growing up and becoming a world-class athlete. She also appeared on Sesame Street with Elmo and Telly Monster.

Family and Fun Facts

Today, Picabo Street is retired from ski racing. She has three sons and enjoys spending time with her family.

Street had a fun habit of naming her skis after strong people she admired. She had a pair called "Earnies" after race car driver Dale Earnhardt and another called "Arnolds" after actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

World Cup Results

Season Titles

Season Standings

Race Podiums

• 9 wins – (9 DH)
• 17 podiums – (15 DH, 2 SG)

World Championship Results

Olympic Results

See also

In Spanish: Picabo Street para niños