Dale Begg-Smith
Encyclopedia
Dale Begg-Smith is an Australia
n-Canadian freestyle skier
. Begg-Smith won the gold medal
for Australia, his adopted country, in the men's moguls event at the 2006 Winter Olympics
and silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics
. He is only the third Australian to win a gold medal in a Winter Games and the youngest to win an Olympic Gold in the history of mens freestyle mogul skiing. In the lead-up to the 2006 Winter Games, Dale Begg-Smith had won three World Cup rounds and was ranked world number one in the moguls discipline. In 2010, Begg-Smith's fourth World Cup title put him even with French Skier Edgar Grospiron
for most World Cup wins.
, moved to Australia at age 16. The brothers chose to ski for Australia
because the country had a smaller ski program that offered them more attention and flexibility. This ensured that they could still successfully manage their business. The brothers stayed out of competitive skiing for three years and instead trained with the Australian team, living in Jindabyne
each winter. The pair qualified for Australian citizenship after these three years in 2003-04, and were then free to compete for their adopted country.
Alisa Monk, coordinator of the moguls program, says that she books Begg-Smith's hotels and flights economically, despite his wealth. "Wherever the team stays, he stays. There are certainly no big demands. You wouldn't know he had a bit of money." She also said, "When he is at Perisher he stays in the same hut as the other mogul skiers and his brother which is small and old and almost falling down", and that "He just doesn't try to stand out at all."
Begg-Smith won silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics
held in Vancouver, leading to some complaints about biased-judging from members of the Australian coaching staff. “Sometimes you’re in the good graces of the judges, sometimes you’re not,” Gold medalist Alex Bilodeau said. “Judged sports can’t be perfect. It can be a bad part of my sport. I see it. But everybody is going to be equal in the end.”
He is considered a recluse by many, and has repeatedly refused to communicate with non-Australian media, Canadian media in particular. NBC
dubbed him "the most mysterious man of the Winter Olympics" in a piece aired on 14 February 2010, during the Vancouver games.
Begg-Smith is a consistent qualifier for World Cup finals, in March 2010 he reached his 48th consecutive final leading Australian moguls coach to say of the accomplishment that "he always qualifies. He has now qualified for 48 straight finals, which is incredible - I don't know if that's a record or not, but I would presume it is." This claim is disputed however as Begg-Smith has missed multiple events due to training or injury, such as his season ending surgery in January 2009. It is unclear whether the coach was claiming whether he had qualified for 48 straight finals or 48 straight finals which he had competed in.
After the Haiti earthquake, Begg-Smith donated his prize money - about $13,670 - to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
. The Sydney Morning Herald
reports that they had "...followed a trail of digital fingerprints scattered over the web which shows Mr Begg-Smith's long and rewarding involvement in the distribution of "malicious software". Begg-Smith's manager, David Malina, said reports about his client's business had been "exaggerated", and that "it's not really something that he's involved with anymore ... he's minimised his involvement to concentrate on his sport."
issued a postage stamp commemorating Begg-Smith's achievement, saying his gold put him in a "small and honoured group of athletes". In 2005 Dale was awarded Ski and Snowboard Australia's Snowsports Athlete of the Year.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-Canadian freestyle skier
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
. Begg-Smith won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
for Australia, his adopted country, in the men's moguls event at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
and silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. He is only the third Australian to win a gold medal in a Winter Games and the youngest to win an Olympic Gold in the history of mens freestyle mogul skiing. In the lead-up to the 2006 Winter Games, Dale Begg-Smith had won three World Cup rounds and was ranked world number one in the moguls discipline. In 2010, Begg-Smith's fourth World Cup title put him even with French Skier Edgar Grospiron
Edgar Grospiron
Edgar Grospiron is a French freestyle skier and Olympic champion. He won a gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. He received a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.-References:...
for most World Cup wins.
Early years and career
Begg-Smith was skiing for his native Canada as a teenager when his coaches told him he was spending too much time on his fledgling business, and not enough time in training. He subsequently quit the Canadian ski program because it clashed with his business interests and, along with his brother Jason Begg-SmithJason Begg-Smith
Jason Begg-Smith is an Australian freestyle skier, who competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics. He finished in 29th place. He is also the older brother of Olympic Gold Medalist Dale Begg-Smith....
, moved to Australia at age 16. The brothers chose to ski for Australia
Skiing in Australia
Skiing in Australia takes place in the high country of the states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as in the Australian Capital Territory, during the Southern Hemisphere winter....
because the country had a smaller ski program that offered them more attention and flexibility. This ensured that they could still successfully manage their business. The brothers stayed out of competitive skiing for three years and instead trained with the Australian team, living in Jindabyne
Jindabyne, New South Wales
Jindabyne is a town in south-east New South Wales, Australia that overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the Snowy Mountains, in Snowy River Shire. It is a popular holiday destination, especially in winter, due to its proximity to several ski resorts throughout the Kosciuszko National Park, including...
each winter. The pair qualified for Australian citizenship after these three years in 2003-04, and were then free to compete for their adopted country.
Alisa Monk, coordinator of the moguls program, says that she books Begg-Smith's hotels and flights economically, despite his wealth. "Wherever the team stays, he stays. There are certainly no big demands. You wouldn't know he had a bit of money." She also said, "When he is at Perisher he stays in the same hut as the other mogul skiers and his brother which is small and old and almost falling down", and that "He just doesn't try to stand out at all."
Begg-Smith won silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
held in Vancouver, leading to some complaints about biased-judging from members of the Australian coaching staff. “Sometimes you’re in the good graces of the judges, sometimes you’re not,” Gold medalist Alex Bilodeau said. “Judged sports can’t be perfect. It can be a bad part of my sport. I see it. But everybody is going to be equal in the end.”
He is considered a recluse by many, and has repeatedly refused to communicate with non-Australian media, Canadian media in particular. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
dubbed him "the most mysterious man of the Winter Olympics" in a piece aired on 14 February 2010, during the Vancouver games.
Begg-Smith is a consistent qualifier for World Cup finals, in March 2010 he reached his 48th consecutive final leading Australian moguls coach to say of the accomplishment that "he always qualifies. He has now qualified for 48 straight finals, which is incredible - I don't know if that's a record or not, but I would presume it is." This claim is disputed however as Begg-Smith has missed multiple events due to training or injury, such as his season ending surgery in January 2009. It is unclear whether the coach was claiming whether he had qualified for 48 straight finals or 48 straight finals which he had competed in.
After the Haiti earthquake, Begg-Smith donated his prize money - about $13,670 - to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.
Business controversy
There are claims that his internet advertising business had been linked to the distribution of malwareMalware
Malware, short for malicious software, consists of programming that is designed to disrupt or deny operation, gather information that leads to loss of privacy or exploitation, or gain unauthorized access to system resources, or that otherwise exhibits abusive behavior...
. The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
reports that they had "...followed a trail of digital fingerprints scattered over the web which shows Mr Begg-Smith's long and rewarding involvement in the distribution of "malicious software". Begg-Smith's manager, David Malina, said reports about his client's business had been "exaggerated", and that "it's not really something that he's involved with anymore ... he's minimised his involvement to concentrate on his sport."
Honours
On 21 February 2006 Australia PostAustralia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
issued a postage stamp commemorating Begg-Smith's achievement, saying his gold put him in a "small and honoured group of athletes". In 2005 Dale was awarded Ski and Snowboard Australia's Snowsports Athlete of the Year.
Olympic Results
| Date | Games | Location | Discipline | Results | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 February 2006 | 2006 Torino Olympics | Sauze d'Oulx Sauze d'Oulx Sauze d'Oulx is a town and comune in the province of Turin, Piedmont located 80 kilometres from Turin in the Val di Susa, at the foot of monte Genevris .... |
Men's Moguls Freestyle skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics Four freestyle skiing events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the venue in Sauze d'Oulx. There were both men's and women's competition in both aerials and moguls events... |
Gold | |
| 14 February 2010 | 2010 Vancouver Olympics | Cypress Mountain Cypress Mountain - External links :* *... |
Men's Moguls Freestyle skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics The freestyle skiing competition of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Cypress Mountain. The events took place between the 13 and 25 February 2010, and included a new event for these Olympics, ski cross.- Medal table :-Men's Events:- Women's Events :... |
Silver |
World Championship Results
| Date | Location | Discipline | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 March 2007 | Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Moguls | 2007 Freestyle World Championships FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships 2007 The 2007 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships were held in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, from March 5th-11th. Five events were supposed to be held for each sex, but the half-pipe was canceled.-Skicross:-Moguls:-Dual Moguls:-Aerials:-Skicross:... |
Silver |
| 10 March 2007 | Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Dual Moguls | 2007 Freestyle World Championships FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships 2007 The 2007 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships were held in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, from March 5th-11th. Five events were supposed to be held for each sex, but the half-pipe was canceled.-Skicross:-Moguls:-Dual Moguls:-Aerials:-Skicross:... |
Gold |
| 19 March 2005 | Ruka, Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Moguls | 2005 Freestyle World Championships FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships 2005 The 2005 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships took place at the Rukatunturi ski resort in Kuusamo, Finland, between March 17th and March 20th. Five events were held for each sex, including half-pipe, skicross, ariels, moguls and dual moguls.-Half-Pipe:... |
Bronze |
World Cup Season Victories
| Date | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 2005–2006 | Moguls |
| 2006–2007 | Moguls |
| 2007–2008 | Moguls |
| 2009–2010 | Moguls |
World Cup Podiums
| Date | Location | Discipline | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-03-2010 | Sierra Nevada | Moguls | Silver |
| 1-01-2010 | Lake Placid | Moguls | Silver |
| 16-01-2010 | Deer Valley | Moguls | Silver |
| 14-01-2010 | Deer Valley | Moguls | Gold |
| 09-01-2010 | Calgary | Moguls | Gold |
| 08-01-2010 | Calgary | Moguls | Gold |
| 08-03-2008 | Are | Dual Moguls | Silver |
| 07-03-2008 | Are | Moguls | Gold |
| 16-02-2008 | Inawashiro | Moguls | Gold |
| 20-01-2008 | Lake Placid, NY | Moguls | Gold |
| 18-01-2008 | Lake Placid, NY | Moguls | Silver |
| 03-03-2007 | Voss | Moguls | Gold |
| 02-03-2007 | Voss | Moguls | Gold |
| 24-02-2007 | Apex | Moguls | Gold |
| 18-02-2007 | Listel – Inawashiro | Dual Moguls | Gold |
| 06-02-2007 | La Plagne | Dual Moguls | Gold |
| 05-02-2007 | La Plagne | Moguls | Bronze |
| 06-01-2007 | Mont Gabriel | Moguls | Gold |
| 18-03-2006 | Apex, BC | Moguls | Gold |
| 01-03-2006 | Jisan Forest Resort | Moguls | Gold |
| 04-02-2006 | Spindleruv Mlyn | Moguls | Silver |
| 28-01-2006 | Madonna di Campiglio | Moguls | Gold |
| 22-01-2006 | Lake Placid, NY | Moguls | Gold |
| 20-01-2006 | Lake Placid, NY | Moguls | Gold |
| 13-01-2006 | Deer Valley, UT | Moguls | Bronze |
| 18-12-2005 | Oberstdorf | Moguls | Gold |
| 11-02-2005 | Naeba | Moguls | Bronze |
| 05-02-2005 | Inawashiro | Moguls | Silver |
| 29-01-2005 | Deer Valley, UT | Moguls | Silver |
External links
- Begg-Smith wins another World Cup crown The Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
, 19 March 2010 - NBC Olympics Profile: Dale Begg-Smith
- Dale begs the question: can Australia win a mogul medal in Turin? The Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
, 24 January 2006. - 'Spam man' wins gold The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, 16 February 2006. - AP Winter Games Profile: Dale Begg-Smith