Mahre, Philip
Skiing
b. May 10, 1957, White Pass, WA
Phil and his twin brother Steve, who was born four minutes later, had a long friendly rivalry that culminated at the 1984 Winter Olympics, when Phil won the gold medal in the slalom and Steve won the silver.
The twins were known as rebels who preferred racing motorcycles during the summer to following the training regimen recommended by the U. S. ski team. But no one could argue with their results, especially Phil's. He was national giant slalom champion in 1975, 1977, 1978, and 1979, and he also emerged as a genuine threat in World Cup races, finishing second overall in 1978 and third in 1979.
However, in March of 1979 he suffered a severely broken left ankle in a race at Lake Placid, NY. The U. S. ski team doctor called it "the ultimate broken ankle, a break of both the ankle and the lower leg." A metal plate and seven screws had to be inserted. Mahre began skiing less than six months after the injury, and less than a year later he won a silver medal in the slalom at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
In 1981, Mahre became the first American male to win the World Cup overall championships, and he repeated in 1982 and 1983, becoming the third skier to win three straight titles. He also won the national slalom title in 1983.
Both Mahre brothers had a difficult time during the 1983-84 season and there seemed little chance that either could win a medal. Phil had finished 62nd in the World Cup standings and he was concerned about his wife, who was due to have a baby in the United States while the Winter Olympics were going on in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
After the first of two slalom runs, Steve was in first place and Phil was third. But Phil had a great second run to become the first American male skier to win a gold medal and Steve won the silver. On the way to the medal ceremony, Phil learned his wife had given birth to their second child and first son. "Heck," he said, "there she was doing all the work while I was out there playing."
Both Mahre brothers retired from competition shortly after the Olympics.