Steve Nyman

Steven Nyman was born 12 February 1982 in Provo, Utah. He is a World Cup alpine ski racer on the U.S. Ski Team . He was formerly a slalom skier, but he is now a speed specialist, competing mainly in downhill, super G, and combined.

Nyman is a member of the Riverwoods Ward, Provo Utah Edgemont North Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon” Church by the media and others). He says, “it’s been tough to uphold my standards” on the party-hard skiing circuit. He enjoys going out with friends to celebrate good performances, but says that he’s not one of the guys who will stay out past 2 a.m. “I feel confident with who I am and what I believe in,” he said. [1] He has not yet served a full-time mission for the Church, but his father and older brother have.

In the summer of 2004, his local Church got involved with the Children’s Hope Foundation, an organization that helps children and families with HIV/AIDS. With other members of his Church, Nyman traveled to Haiti in the summer of 2004 to help build an orphanage. He was there for about 10 days and the trip “opened my eyes a lot,” he says. “I don’t complain about my life. I am here and should be happy.”

The Road to the Olympics

Steve was raised at the Sundance Ski Resort in Provo, Utah, so he grew up fascinated by nature and the arts.  Always athletic, he was skiing with his brothers at a young age.  Now 6’4″ in stature, he towers above most of his competitors. He moved to Park City in 1999. In 2006 he finished 19th in downhill, 29th in combined, and 43rd in super G.  In December of that year, he won his first World Cup medal, placing third in a downhill at Beaver Creek, Colorado, United States. Fifteen days later, he won his first World Cup race, a downhill in Val Gardena, Italy. He is a four-time World Cup downhill medalist and a two-time downhill national champion.The Winter Olympic Games in Sochi will be his third Olympic Games, and he is expected to participate in a variety of competitions.

Sochi Winter Olympic Games Update

Nyman was first down the course during the men’s downhill competition on Sunday, 9 February at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. He had a time of 2.09.15 and he scored 27th overall. “The downhill is a steep 2.17-mile course with a drop of more than 3,500 feet with turns and four jumps with speeds of more than 70 mph.” [2] He posted a message on Twitter and Instragram:

Tough day at the office. I tried my best to tackle that beast but she got the best of me, adding his congratulations to bronze medalist Kjetil Jansrud of Norway and gratitude to supporters. It means a lot to me. And a big thanks to my Mom for flying all the way to Russia to see me hurtle my carcass down the mountain. [2]