Felix McGrath

Felix McGrath (born March 13, 1963) is an American retired alpine skier who competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Charles Felix McGrath
Alpine skier ♂
DisciplinesGiant slalom, Slalom, Combined
Born (1963-03-13) 13 March 1963
Princeton, New Jersey
World Cup debut1984
Retired1990
Olympics
TeamsUS Ski Team 1988[1]
World Cup
Podiums1

Personal life

Born in Princeton, New Jersey,[2] McGrath grew up in Norwich, Vermont, where his father was a history professor in nearby Dartmouth College.[3] McGrath married a Norwegian, Selma Lie,[4] who skied for the University of Vermont.[5][6] Together, they had a son, Atle Lie McGrath, who has skied downhill for the Norwegian national ski team.

Career

McGrath skied for the United States Ski Team on the World Cup circuit from 1984 through 1990, during which time he achieved one podium finish in slalom.[2]

As of 1987, he was the top US ski racer, but was ranked 57th in the world. The Los Angeles Times wrote of his criticism for the lack of competency among the coaches, who were "putting exaggerated pressure on the racers". He felt that the coaches were not attuned to the steps required to develop relatively inexperienced skiers and were not cognizant of the personal training regimes of individual team members.[3] McGrath finished 10th in the slalom in the 1987 World Championships.[2]

McGrath was national champion five times. He became a ski instructor and coach, at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire and later for the ski team at the University of Vermont. Ultimately, he became the head coach of the Norwegian women’s alpine team.[2] He was named to Sports Illustrated's 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Vermont in 1999.[7]

References
  1. Associated Press (February 4, 1988). "U.S. Names Alpine Ski Team". New York Times. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  2. editors (2016). "Felix McGrath". SR/Olympic Sports. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2017-06-11.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  3. Lochner, Bob (February 7, 1987). "U.S. Skier Criticizes Coaches : McGrath Cites Tension and Rebellion on Team". Los Angeles Times.
  4. Staff (September 16, 2019). "Obituaries: Robert L. McGrath". Valley News. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
  5. Staff (2003). "Selma Lie (2003) - University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame". University of Vermont Athletics. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
  6. Editors (December 1990). Snow Country. 3. The New York Times Company. p. 27.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  7. Editors (December 27, 1999). "The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Vermont". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. Retrieved 2017-02-18. Felix McGrath—Norwich—U.S. ski team member from 1982 to '91; four-time national slalomchamp; third in '88 World Cup slalom.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
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