Jimmy Shea 36772 223188803 2008-07-02T23:33:34Z 71.141.93.49 {{MedalTableTop}} {{MedalSport|[[Skeleton (sport)|Skeleton]]}} {{MedalOlympics}} {{MedalGold|[[2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Salt Lake City]]|[[Skeleton at the 2002 Winter Olympics|Men]]}} {{MedalWorldChampionships}} {{MedalGold|[[FIBT World Championships 1999|1999 Altenberg]]|Men}} {{MedalSilver|[[FIBT World Championships 1997|1997 Lake Placid]]|Men}} {{MedalBronze|[[FIBT World Championships 2000|2000 Igls]]|Men}} {{MedalBottom}} '''Jim Shea Jr.''' (born [[June 10]], [[1968]]) is a retired [[United States|American]] [[skeleton (sport)|skeleton]] racer who won the Gold medal in dramatic fashion at the [[2002 Winter Olympics]] in Salt Lake City. Shea also was chosen by fellow athletes to recite the [[Olympic Oath|Athlete's Oath]] during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games#Opening Opening Ceremonies] and along with his father, Jim Shea Sr., passed the [[Olympic Torch]] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_Ice 1980 U.S. Mens' Hockey Team] who ignited the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_2002_Olympic_Cauldron_Park Olympic Cauldron]. Shortly before the Olympics he was a guest of [[Laura Bush]] in the First Lady's Box at the [[2002 State of the Union Address]]. Shea was the third generation of his family to take part in [[Winter Olympics|Winter Games]]. His father competed in [[nordic combined]] and [[cross country skiing]] events in the [[1964 Winter Olympics]], and his grandfather, [[Jack Shea]], won two gold medals in the [[1932 Winter Olympics]] at Lake Placid in [[long track speed skating|speed skating]]. His grandfather also recited the athlete's oath at the 1932 opening ceremony. Although American media repeatedly claimed that he was the first third generation Olympian, this honor in fact belongs to the [[Norway|Norwegian]] Lunde family, who placed their third generation in the Olympics in 1960. He was born and raised in [[West Hartford, Connecticut|West Hartford]], [[Connecticut]] and moved to [[Lake Placid, New York|Lake Placid]], [[New York]] in his late teens. <ref>[http://www.sheafoundation.com/meettheboard.cfm The Shea Family Foundation - Excellence in the Extreme<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He became the first American to win a World Cup race and a World Championship in the sport, and has won more World Cup victories than any other American. He retired in October 2005. At the [[FIBT World Championships]], Shea earned a complete set of medals in the men's skeleton event with a gold in [[FIBT World Championships 1999|1999]], a silver in [[FIBT World Championships 1997|1997]], and a bronze in [[FIBT World Championships 2000|2000]] (tied for bronze with [[Austria]]'s [[Alexander Müller (skeleton)|Alexander Müller]]). His best overall seasonal finish in the men's [[List of Skeleton World Cup champions|Skeleton World Cup]] was third twice (1998-9, 2000-1). Shea's efforts and World Championship status assisted in the reintroduction of skeleton as a medal sport. Shea has since founded The Shea Family foundation which raises money to help kids in sports. He resides in Park City, Utah, where he is a Board Member of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters and a board member of "Mountain Trails", the largest mountain biking trail system in the country. He currently serves on the Utah Board of Economic Development. Jimmy is married to an Emergency Medicine doctor, Dr. Kellee Reed Shea of Orlando, Florida. ==References== {{reflist}} *[http://cbs.sportsline.com/b/page/pressbox/0,1328,5036044,00.html CBS Sports profile] *[http://www.sportresult.com/sports/bs/db/biography.asp?p_id=100685&nat=&sport=&sex=&season=&stat=&venue=&events= FIBT profile] *[http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=2&OLGY=2002 IOC 2002 Winter Olympics] *[http://sports123.com/ske/mwc.html List of men's skeleton World Cup champions since 1987.] *[http://sports123.com/ske/mo.html Men's skeleton Olympic medalists since 1928] *[http://sports123.com/ske/mw.html Men's skeleton world championship medalists since 1989] *[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-51289793.html Olympian Shea talk raises eyebrows] *[http://www.usshea.com/home.cfm Shea's official 2002 Olympic website] *[http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_706.htm U.S. Olympic Committee profile] {{Footer Olympic Champions Skeleton Men}} {{Footer World Champions Skeleton Men}} <br> {{start box}} {{succession box | title=[[Olympic Oath|Athlete's Winter Olympic Oath]]| before= [[Kenji Ogiwara]]| after=[[Giorgio Rocca]]| years=2002}} {{end box}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Shea, Jimmy}} [[Category:1968 births]] [[Category:American skeleton racers]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States]] [[Category:Olympic skeleton racers of the United States]] [[Category:People from West Hartford, Connecticut]] [[Category:Skeleton racers at the 2002 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:Winter Olympics medalists]] [[de:Jim Shea]] [[fr:Jim Shea]] [[nl:Jim Shea jr.]] [[pl:Jimmy Shea]] [[fi:Jimmy Shea]]