Kjus, Lasse

▪ 2000

      When Norwegian Alpine skier Lasse Kjus clutched the World Cup crystal globe on March 15, 1999, in Sierra Nevada, Spain, he had done more than simply claim the overall title for the second time in his career. He had completed a long journey toward overcoming health problems and triumphing over better-known skiers to earn his place among the world's elite in the sport, leaving world records—and even his old roommate—in his wake.

      Kjus was born Jan. 14, 1971, in Oslo and took up skiing at the age of seven. His first coach was Finn Aamodt, the father of his friend Kjetil Andre Aamodt. In 1990 either Kjus or the younger Aamodt, by then roommates, won every title at the world junior championships. After Kjus joined Norway's national team, his early successes came in the combined event; he was the world champion in 1993 and the Olympic champion in 1994 at Lillehammer, Nor. Aamodt, however, won the overall 1994 World Cup title.

      Two seasons later Kjus started out in tremendous fashion, earning two second-place finishes with wins in the giant slalom, the supergiant slalom (super G), and the downhill. A terrible crash in Kitzbühel, Austria, sidelined him for three weeks, but a return to the site of his Olympic triumph, Lillehammer, saw him win the season's final downhill race to win the 1996 overall World Cup title. Frequent sickness, however, led Kjus to seek medical attention in 1997, and doctors determined that he had been born with a nasal condition that required surgery. Although he did not expect immediate relief, Kjus wasted no time in getting back on track. He made history at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, by capturing a silver medal in the downhill and later the same day winning another silver in the combined. He had not defended his 1994 combined title, but Kjus had become the first Alpine skier in history to medal twice in one day.

      Plagued again by sickness, Kjus had a rough start to the 1998–99 season and missed out on crucial point-producing races. He took time off before Christmas and also missed six races late in the season. A defining moment came in February, however, at the world championships in Vail, Colo. He tied Austrian star Hermann Maier for the gold in the opening event—the super G—then triumphed over Maier in the giant slalom. When the championships ended, Kjus had won a record five medals.

      On the last day of the season, in Sierra Nevada, Kjus went head to head with Aamodt (they had stopped rooming together the year before). Although neither skied particularly well, Kjus picked up enough points to win by only 23—one of the closest finishes in history—for his second overall World Cup title.

Anthony G. Craine

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