Koch, "Bill" (William)
Skiing
b. June 7, 1955, Brattleboro, VT
The first world-class cross-country skier from the United States, Koch originally began competing in the Nordic combined, which also includes ski jumping, but he then decided to concentrate on cross-country racing.
In 1974, he became the first American ever to win a medal in top-level international competition by placing third in the European junior championships. He was also the first American to win an Olympic medal in his sport, taking a silver in the 30-kilometer event in 1976.
The unexpected media attention, along with exercised-induced asthma, bothered Koch for several years afterward. He was the top American hope at the 1980 Winter Olympics, but he skied poorly and finished far out of medal contention in all three races.
After the Olympics, he developed a new technique that resembled skating with skis and in 1982 he won the Nordic World Cup in cross-country, another first. Koch led the World Cup competition for much of the 1983 season before placing third.