Name Felix McGrath | ||
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Felix McGrath (born March 13, 1963) is an American retired alpine skier who competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
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Early life
Born in Princeton, New Jersey, McGrath grew up in Norwich, Vermont, where his father was a history professor in nearby Dartmouth College.
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.
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. McGrath finished 10th in the slalom in the 1987 World Championships.
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. He was named to Sports Illustrated's 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Vermont in 1999.