| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Laurence Thoms |
| Born | March 26, 1980 Suva, Dominion of Fiji |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Fiji |
| Sport | Alpine skiing |
Laurence Thoms (born March 26, 1980) is a Fijian alpine skier who was born in Suva. [1] He represented Fiji at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and attracted media attention as a competitor from a tropical nation at the Winter Olympics. [2]
Contents
Thoms was Fiji's flag-bearer during the Opening Ceremony, being his country's representative, [3] and was the first Pacific Islander to qualify through FIS regulations for the Winter Games [2] [4] [5] He competed in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events. [4] He failed to complete his first run in the Slalom event after 'clipping' a gate, [6] [7] but completed the Giant Slalom and finished fifty-fifth with a time of 2:41.98. [8] Spectators reportedly cheered as they admired the 'Fiji's ice man' competitive speed in the events, and "went crazy when he crossed the finish line". [9] One newspaper described Thoms' participation as exemplifying "the true spirit of the Games". [9]
Before taking part in the Olympics, Thoms had worked as a white water rafting guide and ski instructor in New Zealand. [10] His participation in the Olympics was funded by a retired Swiss businessman, Toni Hauswirth, living in Fiji, who had founded the Fiji Alpine Ski Association. [3] Hauswirth had taken an advertisement in a Fijian newspaper in 1999 with an offer of all-expenses paid trip to the Olympics. [11] [12]
