Jeret Peterson
Freestyle Skiing - Aerials
2002 Olympian
2006 Olympian
2010 Olympic hopeful
Personal Specs
Height: 5'9"
Short List Performance
- 2002 Olympic Winter Games - ninth
- 2003 World Championships - sixth
- 2005 World Championships - 12th
- 2006 Olympic Winter Games - seventh
- 2007 World Championships - seventh
- 2009 World Championships - eighth
Vancouver Watch
Peterson, nicknamed "Speedy," has been a consistent top performer on the World Cup circuit with seven wins including an overall season title in 2005. He took 2008 off to recover from injuries but finished in the top six of the overall World Cup standings in 2006, 2007 and 2009. His big-event results have not been as impressive. He has not placed higher than sixth at a World Championships or an Olympic Winter Games and will be looking to buck that trend in Vancouver.
Personal
Peterson started skiing at age 7 near his hometown at Bogus Basin and was entrenched in aerials at 14. He picked up the nickname "Speedy" at a summer ski camp in Lake Placid in the mid-1990s because coaches thought he resembled the cartoon character "Speed Racer" with a big helmet. He won the 1999 U.S. Junior Championship and took bronze at two straight World Junior Championships in 2000 and 2001. His signature jump is called the "Hurricane," which he failed to land in Torino, dropping him from third to seventh. The next day, Peterson was sent home from Italy after a post-party fight.
In 2006, he organized a golf fundraiser for fellow Boise skier Dane Spencer, a teammate on the 2002 U.S. Olympic Team who was seriously injured in a downhill crash.
Did You Know...?
- Bought teammate Joe Pack's Honda Shadow 750 motorcycle after the 2002 Olympic Winter Games