BIOGRAPHY
Skiing was always No. 1 for reigning Olympic combined champion Ted Ligety and, given his shot at the World Cup in 2004, he didn't bungle his opportunity. His Olympic gold and now World Cup GS title speak for themselves, but his humility and aw-shucks, low-key manner off the ski hill have helped make him an even greater champion.

UPDATE
Ligety's second place finish in giant slalom at the World Cup opener in Soelden, Austria, was just a preview of what was to come in '08. Following that race, no World Cup title was more exciting than Ligety's. After a GS third in Bad Kleinkircheim, Austria, in early December, Ligety wouldn't podium again in GS until March 8 (though he did finish third twice in slalom), when he won the second GS of his career in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. The victory put him 20 points back from the title with one race to go at World Cup Finals in Bormio. Ligety needed to finish second or better, but took the first run conservatively with GS leader Benni Raich of Austria winning the run. In true dramatic fashion, Ligety won the second run by over half a second, crushing Raich and giving the U.S. their fifth World Cup title. Unknown to most, Ligety raced injured and ended up skipping U.S. Championships in order to have a broken right hand repaired.

FIRST TRACKS
Ligety was on skis at 2 and began racing at 11, working his way from the Park City Farm Team on up to the Park City Ski Team. Although he played other sports as he went into high school, he says, "Skiing really was my only passion.” U.S. coaches watched and waited as he worked up through the junior ranks, and when he collected slalom silver at the 2004 Junior World Championships, and then 23rd in a World Cup slalom, he clinched a place on the '05 Ski Team.

FIRST WORLD CUP
Nov. 22, 2003 at Park City, UT (did not qualify for second run of GS)

OLYMPICS/WORLDS
2007 Worlds - Fourth in GS, DNF-1 slalom, DNF-SL in super combined. 2006 Olympics - Alpine combined champion, DNF slalom and GS, 2005 Worlds -12th in combined.

CHALLENGES
2008 - Had to miss the '08 U.S. Nationals in order to get surgery on a broken right hand suffered while training at World Cup Finals in Bormio. 2007 - Broken bone in right index finger in final preseason training cost him opportunities in the first two months of the season. 

I AM
"Ted Shred"...Inevitable, if tedious, nickname and headline which always solicits a grimace from him: Ligety Split...He's the mastermind behind Shred goggles - distinct in their plaid pattern on each strap - with his partner Carlo Salmini; "Absolutely, my Shreds are faster than my old goggles," he laughs...Loves to hang with friends and fool around with several activities - tennis, biking, waterskiing...Team Ligety includes: Mom (Cyndi Sharp), Dad (Bill), younger brother (Charly)...Compares ski racing to Formula-1 racing "as far as the rush racers get, line judgment and carrying speed through turns"...A big fan of Facebook, Wikipedia and picking on Rossignol technician "Katzo."