The greatest Olympic athlete from every U.S. state

Alaska: Hilary Lindh

Sport: Alpine Skiing

Olympics: Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994

It’s not too surprising that Alaska didn’t have a huge list, but Hilary Lindh is a worthy representative for any state. Lindh was born in Juneau, Alaska in May of 1969. She is a world-class skier and won a silver medal in the 1992 Olympics for her performance in the downhill event. It’s quite the achievement to make it to one Olympics, let alone three. She appeared in her first Olympic games at the age of 18. Most people amit that age are thinking about where they’ll be hanging out with their friends that night or maybe what their major will be in college. Lindh was representing her country in Alpine skiing in Canada. While she didn’t place in her first Olympics, the experience helped her in the next Winter Games.

Aside from her appearances in the Olympics, Lindh has multiple titles in the World Cup and World Championships to her name that she was achieved during her career as a competitive skier from 1986 to 1997. It’s a little unusual to see an athlete only be competitive for 11 years but manage to go to three different Olympic games. She also holds the distinction of being the only American woman to win a medal at the 1997 World Championships, capturing the gold. Lindh was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2005 and it was a well-deserved honor for a decorated athlete. She truly had a remarkable career and Lindh was excellent in her sport.

Honorable Mention: Kikkan Randall, cross-country skiing in Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006