Armstrong, Debbie (1964—)
Armstrong, Debbie (1964—)
American skier who won the gold medal in the giant slalom in the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics. Born Deborah Armstrong in Seattle, Washington, in 1964.
In early 1982, Debbie Armstrong, a former high-school soccer and basketball star, earned the right to compete in the world skiing championship though she broke a leg in a training run. When her leg mended, she skied five World Cup giant slalom and downhill races in the 1982–83 season. Her best finish was 5th in the downhill at Le Diablerets, Switzerland. In early 1984, 20-year-old Armstrong placed 3rd in a World Cup supergiant slalom and 5th in a giant slalom. Though her best event was reputed to be the downhill, she took gold in the giant slalom at Sarajevo in the 1984 Olympics. Since her biggest worry before the Olympics had been making the team, Armstrong found it hard to stop laughing. It was her first win in a major ski race. For lack of research and better questions, stunned reporters asked what she had sacrificed. Armstrong replied, "Nothing. Skiing is my life.…I knew if I kept my head on straight I'd be OK."
Karin Loewen Haag , freelance writer, Athens, Georgia