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John Kucera

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John Kucera
Personal information
Born (1984-09-17) September 17, 1984 (age 39)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
OccupationAlpine skier
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight176 lb - 80 kg
Sport
Land Kanada
Skiing career
DisciplinesDownhill, Super G,
Giant Slalom, Slalom,
Combined
ClubCalgary Alpine Racing
World Cup debutNovember 27, 2004
(age 20)
Olympics
Teams1 – 2006
Medals0
World Championships
Teams3 - 2005, 2007, 2009
Medals1 (1 gold)
World Cup
Seasons6 - (2005-2010)
Wins1 - (1 SG)
Podiums3 - (3 SG)
Overall titles0 – (13th – 2008)
Discipline titles0 – (3rd – 2007, SG)
Medal record
Men's alpine skiing
Representing  Kanada
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Val d'Isère Downhill

John Kucera (born September 17, 1984, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a World Cup alpine ski racer, a member of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team. He races in all five alpine disciplines, focusing on the speed events of downhill and Super-G. He is the current world champion in the downhill, but has been sidelined due to injury since November 2009. Kucera's parents immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1980.

Kucera made his World Cup debut at age 20 in November 2004, on home snow in Lake Louise, Alberta. Two years later, Lake Louise was the site of his first World Cup victory, a Super-G race in November 2006. Three weeks later he made another World Cup podium with a third place finish in the Super-G at Val Gardena, Italy. His next podium came two years later, a second place in the Super-G at Lake Louise.

He won the gold medal in the downhill at the 2009 World Championships at Val d'Isère, France, to become the first Canadian man to win the event at the World Championships.[1]

On November 28, 2009, Kucera finished sixth in the first downhill of the 2010 season at Lake Louise, but fractured his left leg in the Super-G the following day. A compound fracture through his left calf, he missed the rest of the 2010 World Cup season and the 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler.[2]

Kucera returned to the snow a year later in late 2010, but will likely miss the entire 2011 season as well. As part of his recovery, he has been a forerunner for a number of races in North America and Europe.[3]

As the son of Czech immigrants, Kucera is fluent in Czech and races on Atomic skis. His surname is pronounced kuw-cze-rah. John hosts the Matt and Eric show on JACK FM Calgary on Monday July 5, 2010.

World Cup podiums

Season Date Standort Race Place
2007 26 Nov 2006 Kanada Lake Louise, Kanada Super-G 1st
15 Dec 2006 Italien Val Gardena, Italien Super-G 3rd
2009 30 Nov 2008 Kanada Lake Louise, Canada Super-G 2nd

References

  1. ^ "Kucera wins gold in men's downhill at World Championships". TSN. 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  2. ^ "John Kucera to begin rehab process following left leg injury". Alpine Canada Alpin. 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
  3. ^ Toronto Sun.com - "Rebuilding World Cup skier John Kucera" - 2011-01-04



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