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Jimmy Shea

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Jimmy Shea Jr.
Shea in 2002
Personal information
Full nameJames Edmound Shea Jr.[1]
BornJune 10, 1968 (1968-06-10) (age 56)
West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Height5 ft 10+1⁄2 in (179 cm)
Weight181 lb (82 kg)
Medal record
Men's skeleton
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2002 Salt Lake City Men
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 Altenberg Men
Silver medal – second place 1997 Lake Placid Men
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Igls Men
World Cup Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1998–99 Men
Bronze medal – third place 2000–01 Men

James Edmound Shea Jr. (born June 10, 1968) is an American skeleton racer who won the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Biography

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Shea was the third generation of his family to take part in Winter Games. His father competed in Nordic combined and cross-country skiing events in the 1964 Winter Olympics, and his grandfather, Jack Shea, won two gold medals in the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in speed skating.[1] His grandfather also recited the athlete's oath at the 1932 opening ceremony. He was born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, and moved to Lake Placid, New York, in his late teens.[2] He became the first American to win a World Cup race and a World Championship in the sport, and has won more World Cup victories than any other American. He retired in October 2005.

At the FIBT World Championships, Shea earned a complete set of medals in the men's skeleton event with a gold in 1999, a silver in 1997, and a bronze in 2000 (tied for bronze with Austria's Alexander Müller). His best overall seasonal finish in the men's Skeleton World Cup was third twice (1998–99, 2000–01).

Shea founded The Shea Family Foundation which raises money to help kids in sports. He currently serves on the Utah Board of Economic Development.[3]

Shea has two daughters and a son and lives in Park City, Utah.[4][5] In 2021, he was sentenced to two years of court-supervised probation for sexual misconduct.[6]

2002 Olympics

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Along with his father, Jim Shea Sr., he passed the Olympic Torch to Cammi Granato and Picabo Street who then passed it to the 1980 U.S. Men's Hockey Team, who then ignited the Olympic Cauldron.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jim Shea Jr". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  2. ^ http://www.sheafoundation.com/meettheboard.cfm. Retrieved June 4, 2016. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Rhett Wilkinson (February 18, 2012). "Five memorable faces from the 2002 Olympics". KSL. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  4. ^ "Lori Riley Column: The second of three generations of Olympians, Jim Shea Sr., is back in Lake Placid, where his dad, Jack, won two gold medals in 1932". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  5. ^ "Always about family with Shea". New York Daily News. February 27, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  6. ^ "Jimmy Shea Sentenced To Two Years Probation". NPR KPCW. August 28, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
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