Jon Kreamelmeyer (born 1947) is an American cross-country skiing coach and a member of the Paralympic Hall of Fame. [1]
Kreamelmeyer was born and raised in Colorado. He graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University with a degree in education and began teaching at Summit County High School in Frisco, Colorado, where he served as an assistant ski coach from 1977 until 1986 and the head ski coach until 1991. [2]
From 1996 to 2002, Kreamelmeyer served on the Frisco Town Council and in 2003, he was elected to the Summit School District Board of Education. He remained on the board until 2011, serving terms as vice president and president. In 2012, he was recognised for his contributions to the community with a Frisco Finest award. [3]
At the 1992 Winter Paralympics, held in Tignes and Albertville, France, Kreamelmeyer acted as the sighted guide for blind skier Michele Drolet in cross-country skiing events. [4] The pair finished fifth in the women's long distance (10 km) B1) in a time of one hour, 10 minutes, 6.8 seconds, and sixth in the women's short distance (5 km B1) in 25 minutes, 58.4 seconds. [5]
He competed at his second Paralympic Games in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway, where he again acted as the sighted guide for Drolet. They finished fifth in both the 5 km and 10 km classical technique B1 events, [6] [7] before winning a bronze medal in the 5 km free technique B1. Drolet finished in a time of 20 minutes 8.7 seconds, and became the first American woman to win a Paralympic or Olympic medal in cross-country skiing. [8] [2]
He was named assistant coach of the United States Paralympic Cross-country Skiing Team in 1995. He became head coach from 1998 until 2006, during which time the United States won 11 Paralympic medals in cross-country skiing. [2] [9] After leaving his position as head coach, he continued to be involved with the United States Olympic Committee as a development coach. [2]
In February 2014, during the Winter Paralympics held in Sochi, Russia, Kreamelmeyer was inducted into the Paralympic Hall of Fame alongside visually impaired skiers Eric Villalon Fuentes from Spain and Verena Bentele from Germany. [1]
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Albertville '92, was a winter multi-sport event held from 8 to 23 February 1992 in and around Albertville, France. Albertville won the bid to host the Winter Olympics in 1986, beating Sofia, Falun, Lillehammer, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Anchorage, and Berchtesgaden. The 1992 Winter Olympics were the last winter games held in the same year as the Summer Olympics. The Games were the fifth Olympic Games held in France and the country's third Winter Olympics, after the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix and the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble. This games was the first of two consecutive Olympic games to be held in Western Europe, preceding the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
The 1992 Winter Paralympics were the fifth Winter Paralympics. They were the first Winter Paralympics to be celebrated with the International Olympic Committee cooperation. They were also the first ever Paralympics or a Winter Parasports event held in France. They were held at the resort of Tignes as a support venue of the main host city Albertville, France, from 25 March to 1 April 1992. For the first time, demonstration events in Alpine and Nordic Skiing for athletes with an intellectual disability and Biathlon for athletes with a visual impairment were held.
Michael John Milton, OAM is an Australian Paralympic skier, Paralympic cyclist and paratriathlete with one leg. With 6 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals he is the most successful Australian Paralympic athlete in the Winter Games.
Paralympic cross-country skiing is an adaptation of cross-country skiing for athletes with disabilities. Paralympic cross-country skiing is one of two Nordic skiing disciplines in the Winter Paralympic Games; the other is biathlon. Competition is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Estonia participated in The V. Winter Paralympic Games in Tignes-Albertville, France.
Cross-country skiing at the 1994 Winter Paralympics consisted of 48 events, 29 for men and 19 for women.
Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics consisted of 48 events, 30 for men and 18 for women.
Cross-country skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics consisted of 27 events, 19 for men and 8 for women.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland competed at the 1992 Winter Paralympics held in Tignes and Albertville, France. The team was known by it shortened name of Great Britain, for identification purposes.
France was the host country of the 1992 Winter Paralympics in Tignes-Albertville. The country's delegation was the joint second largest at the Games, consisting in 31 competitors in all three sports: alpine skiing, biathlon and cross-country skiing.
Matthew Stockford is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics. Stockford broke his back in a skiing accident in 1985. He competed using a monoski – a specially fitted chair over a single ski that includes seat belts and other strapping, as well as a suspension device to minimise wear and tear on the skier's body.
Richard Burt is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics.
Australia competed at the 1992 Winter Paralympics in Tignes and Albertville in France. They were the first winter Paralympics to be celebrated concurrently with the Olympic Games. The official logo of the Games was designed by Jean-Michel Folon. It depicts a bird with broken wings, soaring high across the peak of a mountain. This was used to reflect the sporting abilities of the athletes at the Games. The official mascot, Alpy, designed by Vincent Thiebaut, represented the summit of the Grande Motte mountain in Tignes. Alpy was shown on a mono-ski to demonstrate its athleticism and the colours of white, green and blue were used to represent purity/snow, hope/nature and discipline/the lake. The 1992 Games were where Australia won their first winter medals at the Paralympics. Michael Milton won Australia's first gold with a win in the men's slalom LW2. Milton also won a silver medal in the men's super-G LW2. At these Games, Australia was represented by 5 male athletes. Australia was placed 12th in the overall medal tally for the Winter Games winning a total of 4 medals: 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze.
The 1994 Winter Paralympics were held in Lillehammer, Norway. Australia sent six male skiers, who won three gold, two silver and four bronze medals. Australia, at the time, achieved their best ever performance at a Winter Paralympics, finishing 5th overall in the alpine skiing competition, 9th in the medal standings, and 11th in the total medal count out of 31 nations.
Canada competed at the 1992 Winter Paralympics in Tignes-Albertville, France from March 25 to April 1, 1992. Canada entered 19 athletes in two of the three disciplines at the Games; fifteen in Alpine skiing, and four in Nordic skiing.
Brian Santos is an American skier who won nine U.S. Championships and six Paralympic gold medals. Santos won all six para-alpine skiing events in which he competed across Albertville in the 1992 Winter Paralympics and Lillehammer in the 1994 Winter Paralympics. In each event his guide was Ray Watkins. Santos and Watkins were inducted into the National Disabled Ski Hall of Fame in December 2015, making Santos the first visually-impaired racer to be given the honor and Watkins the first guide. Santos retired from competitive skiing in 1996 and later became a coach at the College of the Siskiyous
Michele Drolet was the first American woman to win a medal in cross country skiing; she won the bronze medal at the 1994 Paralympic games in Lillehammer, Norway. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1976.
Elisabeth Maxwald was an Austrian Paralympic skier. She represented Austria in Paralympic Alpine skiing at the 1988 Paralympic Winter Games in Innsbruck and 1998 Paralympic Winter Games in Nordic skiing in Nagano. She won four medals, two gold, a silver and a bronze.
Nadine Laurent is a French Paralympic alpine skier. She won a silver and a bronze medal at the 1992 Winter Paralympic Games in Albertville.
Renate Hjortland is a Norwegian Paralympic skier. She represented Norway in para-alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympic Games in France, and 1994 Winter Paralympic Games in Norway. She won a total of four medals, including three silver medals and one bronze medal.