Laurence Thoms

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Laurence Thoms
Personal information
Birth nameLaurence Thoms
NationalityFijian
Born (1980-03-26) March 26, 1980 (age 41)
Suva, Dominion of Fiji
Height5'10" (176cm)
Sport
CountryFiji
SportAlpine 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]

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[4][5][6] He competed in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events.[7] He failed to complete his first run in the Slalom event after 'clipping' a gate,[8][9] but completed the Giant Slalom and finished fifty-fifth with a time of 2:41.98.[10] 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".[11]

One newspaper described Thoms' participation as exemplifying "the true spirit of the Games".[12]

Before taking part in the Olympics, Thoms had worked as a white water rafting guide and ski instructor in New Zealand.[13] 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.[14] Hauswirth had taken an advertisement in a Fijian newspaper in 1999 with an offer of all-expenses paid trip to the Olympics.[15][16]

References[]

  1. ^ "Laurence Thoms", L'Equipe
  2. ^ "Beach boy takes to the slopes", BBC, February 15, 2002
  3. ^ "Eleven on their own in Games", Associated Press, February 13, 2002
  4. ^ "Beach boy takes to the slopes", BBC, February 15, 2002
  5. ^ "Flames and Flickers: Fiji team starts at a party", ESPN, February 20, 2002
  6. ^ "Fiji's lone 2002 Olympian lured by a newspaper ad" Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine, Deseret News
  7. ^ "Flames and Flickers: Fiji team starts at a party", ESPN, February 20, 2002
  8. ^ "Alping Skiing results - Men's Slalom", CNN
  9. ^ "Slaw Says: Olympics produce year's new heroes", Ball State Daily, February 25, 2002
  10. ^ "Results -- Thursday, Feb 21", ESPN
  11. ^ "Games run into scandal at end", Western Courier, February 22, 2002
  12. ^ "Games run into scandal at end", Western Courier, February 22, 2002
  13. ^ "In Praise of the Lone Olympians", Time, February 21, 2002
  14. ^ "Eleven on their own in Games", Associated Press, February 13, 2002
  15. ^ http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,212042,00.html
  16. ^ https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Skier-Is-Fiji-s-1st-Winter-Olympian-8947570.php
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