Jason Lamy-Chappuis
Encyclopedia
Jason Lamy-Chappuis (born September 9, 1986 in Missoula, Montana
, USA) is a Franco-American
ski jumper
and cross-country skier who has represented France
in Nordic combined ski events since 2002. Born in the United States
, where he first began competing in skiing events, Chappuis moved with his family to France as a child. Prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics
, he had seen success in a number of international competitions, including World Cup events. He won the gold medal in the 10km individual normal hill
at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
, Canada
after passing race leader Johnny Spillane in a dramatic sprint at the finish line. His final time was only .4 seconds faster than Spillane's, the closest finish in a Nordic combined race in Olympic history. Chappuis is a member of the Bois d'Amont ski club in the French department of Jura. He works for the French border patrol in addition to pursuing his athletic career.
, Lamy-Chappuis lived in the United States
until he was 5, living mainly at Copper Mountain
, Colorado
. He participated in his first ski racing events at Club Med
in Copper Mountain
, Colorado
as a child. In 1991, at the age of five, he moved to the small village of Bois-d'Amont
in eastern France with his parents. There, he attended school and began more intensive training, but continued to race for NASTAR
, the American racing program, that year.
Lamy-Chappuis still has many family members in the United States, many of whom traveled to Vancouver to cheer for him in the 2010 Olympics. He also maintains close ties to the American ski team, resulting in U.S. coach Dave Jarrett suggesting jokingly that Lamy-Chappuis switch back to his American citizenship to compete for them. Before flying to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics, he attended a pre-Olympic training camp in Park City
, Utah
with the Americans.
An avid flying enthusiast, Lamy-Chappuis started taking flying lessons at the age of 18, so far logging 70 flight hours. His website reflects his passion for flying and is designed to look like a cockpit
. He has stated that he plans to focus on receiving his pilot's license following the 2009-2010 season. In addition to skiing, Lamy-Chappuis works as a French border patrol officer. His nickname is "Jèz."
, France in 1991. Even though it was his first competition, he left as the winner. Since he had won cross-country competitions in the U.S. and ski jumping contests in France, he decided to continue pursuing both events through the Nordic combined. After establishing himself as a top regional skier in France, Lamy-Chappuis competed in his first international event in a European Cup Games competition in Planica
, Slovenia
during the 1999-2000 season. In 2001-2002, he debuted on the French national junior team, leading to appearances in major competitions in Norway
, Sweden
, Slovenia
, Italy
, Finland
, and Germany
during his teenage years. Although he was routinely ranked among the top competitors on the circuit, Lamy-Chappuis has said that "I don't feel like I ever performed to my full potential on the World Cup circuit."
He participated in his World Cup event in 2004 in Oslo
, Norway
. In 2006, Lamy-Chappuis became the French champion of the Nordic combined
and won two World Cup events, at Kuusamo
and Sapporo. He made his Olympic debut at the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
, Italy
, placing 11th in the Nordic combined, 4th in the sprint, and 5th in the team event. His fourth-place finish in the sprint left him less than 15 seconds short of the bronze medal finish time, inspiring him to train harder to avoid such disappointment in the future.
In the 2006-2007 season, Lamy-Chappuis won the World Cup overall sprint ranking and finished second in the general ranking. Lamy-Chappuis participated in and won the 7.5 km sprint event at the 2007 Holmenkollen ski festival
. He also won the French national championships that year, a feat he repeated in 2007-2008. In 2009, Lamy-Chappuis won two bronze medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Liberec
, in the 10 km individual large-hill and 10 km mass-start events.
in Vancouver
, Canada
as the World Cup leader in Nordic combined. On Sunday, February 14, Lamy-Chappuis won the Olympic gold medal in the 10km individual normal hill
. His winning time was 25:47.1 and came after a frantic finish that involved a last-minute push on his part to beat American
Johnny Spillane by .4 seconds. Spillane held the lead until Lamy-Chappuis' final sprint at the finish line eked out the win. It was the closest finish in Olympic Nordic combined history. Earlier in the day, he had finished fifth in the ski jump portion of the competition, one spot behind Spillane. Lamy-Chappuis said after the race that he "honestly didn't think [he] could get the gold medal" after seeing Spillane's lead following the last hill. He attributed his win to Spillane's decision to slow down while entering the stadium, leaving Lamy-Chappuis with the opportunity to glide faster in the final stretch.
The win made Lamy-Chappuis France's second gold medalist of the 2010 Winter Olympics, following Vincent Jay
's gold medal earlier in the day in the men's 10 km biathlon
sprint. Lamy-Chappuis told the American media that he felt significant pressure from the French media to win the gold medal due to his World Cup success and the belief in the French media that he was "the best chance of a medal for France."
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, USA) is a Franco-American
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
ski jumper
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
and cross-country skier who has represented France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in Nordic combined ski events since 2002. Born in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he first began competing in skiing events, Chappuis moved with his family to France as a child. Prior to 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 had seen success in a number of international competitions, including World Cup events. He won the gold medal in the 10km individual normal hill
Nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Individual normal hill/10 km
The men's individual normal hill/10 km Nordic combined competition for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia, on 14 February. Germany's Georg Hettich was the defending Olympic champion when the event was known as the...
at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
after passing race leader Johnny Spillane in a dramatic sprint at the finish line. His final time was only .4 seconds faster than Spillane's, the closest finish in a Nordic combined race in Olympic history. Chappuis is a member of the Bois d'Amont ski club in the French department of Jura. He works for the French border patrol in addition to pursuing his athletic career.
Personal life
Born to a French father and an American mother in Missoula, MontanaMontana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Lamy-Chappuis lived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until he was 5, living mainly at Copper Mountain
Copper Mountain (Colorado)
Copper Mountain is a mountain located in Summit County, Colorado, about west of Denver on Interstate 70. Opened in late 1972, its most notable use is as a ski resort, owned and operated by Intrawest until Dec...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. He participated in his first ski racing events at Club Med
Club Med
Club Méditerranée , commonly known as Club Med, is a French corporation of vacation resorts found in many parts of the world, usually in exotic locations. It is considered the original all-inclusive resort.-Foundation:...
in Copper Mountain
Copper Mountain
-Landforms in Canada:*Copper Mountain in Alberta*Copper Mountain in British Columbia-Landforms in the United States:*Copper Mountain in Alaska*Copper Mountain in Arizona*Copper Mountain in Colorado...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
as a child. In 1991, at the age of five, he moved to the small village of Bois-d'Amont
Bois-d'Amont
Bois-d'Amont is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
in eastern France with his parents. There, he attended school and began more intensive training, but continued to race for NASTAR
NASTAR
NASTAR is the world's largest known recreational ski and snowboard race program. It allows ski or snowboard racers of all ages and abilities, through a handicap system, a way to compare themselves with one another and with the national champion, regardless of when and where they race...
, the American racing program, that year.
Lamy-Chappuis still has many family members in the United States, many of whom traveled to Vancouver to cheer for him in the 2010 Olympics. He also maintains close ties to the American ski team, resulting in U.S. coach Dave Jarrett suggesting jokingly that Lamy-Chappuis switch back to his American citizenship to compete for them. Before flying to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics, he attended a pre-Olympic training camp in Park City
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
with the Americans.
An avid flying enthusiast, Lamy-Chappuis started taking flying lessons at the age of 18, so far logging 70 flight hours. His website reflects his passion for flying and is designed to look like a cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
. He has stated that he plans to focus on receiving his pilot's license following the 2009-2010 season. In addition to skiing, Lamy-Chappuis works as a French border patrol officer. His nickname is "Jèz."
Athletic career
Lamy-Chappuis' first ski jumping competition was in Les RoussesLes Rousses
Les Rousses is a commune in the Jura département in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.Lac des Rousses is located on the territory of the commune.-Demographics:As of the census of 1999, the population was .The estimate for 2006 was .-Tourism:...
, France in 1991. Even though it was his first competition, he left as the winner. Since he had won cross-country competitions in the U.S. and ski jumping contests in France, he decided to continue pursuing both events through the Nordic combined. After establishing himself as a top regional skier in France, Lamy-Chappuis competed in his first international event in a European Cup Games competition in Planica
Planica
Planica is an alpine valley in northwestern Slovenia, extending south from the border village of Rateče, not far from another well-known ski resort, Kranjska Gora. Further south, the valley extends into the Tamar Valley, a popular hiking destination in Triglav National Park.Planica is famous for...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
during the 1999-2000 season. In 2001-2002, he debuted on the French national junior team, leading to appearances in major competitions in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
during his teenage years. Although he was routinely ranked among the top competitors on the circuit, Lamy-Chappuis has said that "I don't feel like I ever performed to my full potential on the World Cup circuit."
He participated in his World Cup event in 2004 in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. In 2006, Lamy-Chappuis became the French champion of the Nordic combined
Nordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
and won two World Cup events, at Kuusamo
Kuusamo
Kuusamo is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the Oulu province and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
and Sapporo. He made his Olympic debut 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...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, 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...
, placing 11th in the Nordic combined, 4th in the sprint, and 5th in the team event. His fourth-place finish in the sprint left him less than 15 seconds short of the bronze medal finish time, inspiring him to train harder to avoid such disappointment in the future.
In the 2006-2007 season, Lamy-Chappuis won the World Cup overall sprint ranking and finished second in the general ranking. Lamy-Chappuis participated in and won the 7.5 km sprint event at the 2007 Holmenkollen ski festival
Holmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
. He also won the French national championships that year, a feat he repeated in 2007-2008. In 2009, Lamy-Chappuis won two bronze medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Liberec
Liberec
Liberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
, in the 10 km individual large-hill and 10 km mass-start events.
Olympic Gold Medal
With five wins and nine podiums, Lamy-Chappuis entered the 2010 Winter Olympics2010 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...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as the World Cup leader in Nordic combined. On Sunday, February 14, Lamy-Chappuis won the Olympic gold medal in the 10km individual normal hill
Nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Individual normal hill/10 km
The men's individual normal hill/10 km Nordic combined competition for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, was held at Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, British Columbia, on 14 February. Germany's Georg Hettich was the defending Olympic champion when the event was known as the...
. His winning time was 25:47.1 and came after a frantic finish that involved a last-minute push on his part to beat American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Johnny Spillane by .4 seconds. Spillane held the lead until Lamy-Chappuis' final sprint at the finish line eked out the win. It was the closest finish in Olympic Nordic combined history. Earlier in the day, he had finished fifth in the ski jump portion of the competition, one spot behind Spillane. Lamy-Chappuis said after the race that he "honestly didn't think [he] could get the gold medal" after seeing Spillane's lead following the last hill. He attributed his win to Spillane's decision to slow down while entering the stadium, leaving Lamy-Chappuis with the opportunity to glide faster in the final stretch.
The win made Lamy-Chappuis France's second gold medalist of the 2010 Winter Olympics, following Vincent Jay
Vincent Jay
Vincent Jay is a French biathlete. He won a gold medal in the 10 km sprint and a Bronze medal in the 12.5 km pursuit at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Jay also won the 20 km individual race at the 2009 World Cup event in Vancouver.- External links :*...
's gold medal earlier in the day in the men's 10 km biathlon
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
sprint. Lamy-Chappuis told the American media that he felt significant pressure from the French media to win the gold medal due to his World Cup success and the belief in the French media that he was "the best chance of a medal for France."