Gretchen Fraser
Gretchen Kunigk Fraser (February 11, 1919 – February 17, 1994) was an American alpine ski racer and nurse. She was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in skiing, as well as the first American to win an Olympic silver medal in skiing. She was also the first American to be awarded the Pery medal awarded to her by the ski club of Great Britain.[3]She was also the skiing stand-in for ice skater Sonja Henie in the movies Thin Ice (1937) and Sun Valley Serenade (1941). Fraser was revered in her time for her contributions to American athletics, receiving ticker-tape parades and brand sponsorships upon her return to the United States following her Olympic win.
Fraser, circa 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Gretchen Kunigk | |||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 11, 1919 Tacoma, Washington, US | |||||||||||||||||
| Died | February 17, 1994 (aged 75) Sun Valley, Idaho, US | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | |||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 117 lb (53 kg) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Alpine skiing | |||||||||||||||||
| Event | Slalom | |||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Puget Sound | |||||||||||||||||
| Team | Ski Team | |||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1948 (age 29) | |||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||
| World finals | Olympic gold medal, Olympic silver medal | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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