Speed skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics facts for kids
Speed skiing was a very exciting sport shown at the 1992 Winter Olympics in France. It was a "demonstration sport," meaning it was there to show people what it was like, but medals weren't officially counted towards the country totals. The event took place in Les Arcs, a ski resort about 60 kilometers from the main host city, Albertville.
Skiers went incredibly fast down a steep slope! Michael Prufer, a 31-year-old doctor from France, set a new world record. He went even faster than his own record from 1988! Philippe Goitschel, whose aunt was a famous French ski champion, came in second. An American skier named Jeffrey Hamilton finished third.
In the women's event, Tarja Mulari from Finland was amazing. She reached a top speed of 219.245 kilometres per hour (136.233 mph). This speed broke the previous women's world record, which was 214.723 km/h (133.423 mph). Speed skiing is all about how fast you can go!
Men's Speed Skiing Results
This table shows the top skiers in the men's event and their incredible speeds.
| Place | Athlete | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Michael Prufer (FRA) |
229.299 km/h (142.480 mph) |
| 2 | Philippe Goitschel (FRA) |
228.717 km/h (142.118 mph) |
| 3 |  Jeffrey Hamilton (USA) |
226.700 km/h (140.865 mph) |
| 4 | Laurent Sistach (FRA) |
225.000 km/h (139.809 mph) |
| 5 | Claude Basile (FRA) |
223.464 km/h (138.854 mph) |
| 6 |  Petr Kakes (TCH) |
223.325 km/h (138.768 mph) |
| 7 | James Morgan (USA) |
222.910 km/h (138.510 mph) |
| 8 |  Franz Weber (AUT) |
222.222 km/h (138.082 mph) |
| 9 |  Silvano Meli (SUI) |
222.085 km/h (137.997 mph) |
| 10 | John "C.J." Mueller (USA) |
221.811 km/h (137.827 mph) |
Women's Speed Skiing Results
Here are the results for the women's speed skiing event. They also reached amazing speeds!
| Place | Athlete | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tarja Mulari (FIN) |
219.245 km/h (136.233 mph) |
| 2 |  Liss Pettersen (NOR) |
212.892 km/h (132.285 mph) |
| 3 | Renata Kolarova (SUI) |
210.526 km/h (130.815 mph) |
| 4 |  Anna Morin (SWE) |
209.790 km/h (130.357 mph) |
| 5 | Melissa Dimino-Simons (USA) |
203.620 km/h (126.524 mph) |
| 6 |  Lark Frolek (CAN) |
195.865 km/h (121.705 mph) |
| 7 | Francoise Beguin (FRA) |
195.972 km/h (121.771 mph) |
| 8 | Jacqueline Blanc (FRA) |
199.115 km/h (123.724 mph) |
| 9 |  Lisa Powell (NZL) |
193.966 km/h (120.525 mph) |
| 10 | Kirsten Culver (USA) |
193.548 km/h (120.265 mph) |
