Nelson, "Cindy" (Cynthia)
Skiing
b. Aug. 19, 1955, Lutsen, MN
Nelson became a member of the U. S. national ski team in 1971, when she was fifteen. She won the national downhill championship in 1973 and 1978, the slalom in 1975 and 1976, and the Alpine combined in 1978.
Injuries hampered her in Olympic competition. She missed the 1972 Olympics with a dislocated hip. After winning a bronze medal in the downhill in 1976, Nelson was disappointing at the 1980 Olympics, tying for 7th place in the downhill for her best finish.
In 1984, Nelson couldn't compete in the Olympic downhill event because of a serious injury to her right knee. Skiing with a brace on the knee, she could do no better than 19th in the slalom. The injury forced her to retire after the Olympics.