Jimmy Shea

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Jimmy Shea Jr.

| image = Jimmy Shea (USA).jpg

| caption = Shea in 2002

| fullname = James Edmound Shea Jr.{{cite Sports-Reference|title=Jim Shea Jr. |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sh/jim-shea-jr-1.html |accessdate=August 24, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002205506/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sh/jim-shea-jr-1.html |archivedate=October 2, 2015 }}

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|June 10, 1968}}

| birth_place = West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.

| height = 5 ft 10+1/2 in

| weight = 181 lb

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}

}}

James Edmound Shea Jr. (born June 10, 1968) is an American skeleton racer who won the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Biography

Shea was the third generation of his family to take part in Winter Games. His father competed in Nordic combined and cross-country skiing events in the 1964 Winter Olympics, and his grandfather, Jack Shea, won two gold medals in the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in speed skating. His grandfather also recited the athlete's oath at the 1932 opening ceremony.

He was born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, and moved to Lake Placid, New York, in his late teens.{{cite web |url=http://www.sheafoundation.com/meettheboard.cfm |access-date=June 4, 2016}} He became the first American to win a World Cup race and a World Championship in the sport, and has won more World Cup victories than any other American. He retired in October 2005.

At the FIBT World Championships, Shea earned a complete set of medals in the men's skeleton event with a gold in 1999, a silver in 1997, and a bronze in 2000 (tied for bronze with Austria's Alexander Müller). His best overall seasonal finish in the men's Skeleton World Cup was third twice (1998–99, 2000–01).

Shea founded The Shea Family Foundation which raises money to help kids in sports. He currently serves on the Utah Board of Economic Development.{{cite web |url=http://www.ksl.com/?sid=19251593 |title=Five memorable faces from the 2002 Olympics |work=KSL |author=Rhett Wilkinson |date=February 18, 2012 |access-date=August 21, 2015}}

Shea has two daughters and a son and lives in Park City, Utah.{{cite web |title=Lori Riley Column: The second of three generations of Olympians, Jim Shea Sr., is back in Lake Placid, where his dad, Jack, won two gold medals in 1932. |url=http://articles.courant.com/2013-01-26/sports/hc-riley-column-0127-20130126_1_judy-martins-dukurs-rinks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103201537/http://articles.courant.com/2013-01-26/sports/hc-riley-column-0127-20130126_1_judy-martins-dukurs-rinks |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 3, 2015 |access-date=August 21, 2015 |work=Hartford Courant}}{{cite web |title=Always about family with Shea |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/family-american-skeleton-gold-medalist-jim-shea-article-1.197583 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |website=New York Daily News|date=February 27, 2010 }} In 2021, he was sentenced to two years of court-supervised probation for sexual misconduct.{{cite web |date=August 28, 2021 |title=Jimmy Shea Sentenced To Two Years Probation |url=https://www.kpcw.org/local-news/2021-08-27/jimmy-shea-sentenced-to-two-years-probation |access-date=April 24, 2023 |website=NPR KPCW}}

2002 Olympics

Along with his father, Jim Shea Sr., he passed the Olympic Torch to Cammi Granato and Picabo Street who then passed it to the 1980 U.S. Men's Hockey Team, who then ignited the Olympic Cauldron.

References

External links

{{IBSF |name=Jim SHEA}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081205144321/http://cbs.sportsline.com/b/page/pressbox/0,1328,5036044,00.html CBS Sports profile]
[http://www.sportresult.com/sports/bs/db/biography.asp?p_id=100685&nat=&sport=&sex=&season=&stat=&venue=&events= FIBT profile]
[http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=2&OLGY=2002 IOC 2002 Winter Olympics]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20111105190421/http://sports123.com/ske/mwc.html List of men's skeleton World Cup champions since 1987]
[http://sports123.com/ske/mo.html Men's skeleton Olympic medalists since 1928] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206231409/http://sports123.com/ske/mo.html |date=February 6, 2020 }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111059/http://sports123.com/ske/mw.html Men's skeleton world championship medalists since 1989]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121019150315/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-51289793.html Olympian Shea talk raises eyebrows]
[http://www.usshea.com/home.cfm Shea's official 2002 Olympic website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312081357/http://www.usshea.com/home.cfm |date=March 12, 2007 }}
[http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_706.htm U.S. Olympic Committee profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20060325103547/http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_706.htm |date=March 25, 2006 }}