Erik Schlopy (born August 21, 1972) is former World Cup alpine ski racer from the United States and specialized in the technical events of giant slalom and slalom.

Erik Schlopy
Personal information
Born (1972-08-21) August 21, 1972 (age 52)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
OccupationAlpine skier
Skiing career
DisciplinesGiant slalom, slalom, super-G
World Cup debutDecember 5, 1992 (age 20)
Retired2008 (age 35)
Olympics
Teams3 – (1994, 2002, 2006)
Medals0
World Championships
Teams3 – (2001, 2003, 2005)
Medals1 (0 gold)
World Cup
Wins0
Podiums2 – (2 GS)
Overall titles0 – (15th in 2001)
Discipline titles0 – (3rd in GS, 2001)
Medal record
Men's alpine skiing
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2003 St. Moritz Giant slalom

Born in Buffalo, New York and raised in nearby Hamburg,[1] Schlopy competed in three Olympics: 1994, 2002, and 2006. In 1994 at Lillehammer, he placed 34th in giant slalom. At the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, he was thirteenth in the slalom, and was thirteenth in the giant slalom in 2006. He competed in three World Championships, and won a bronze medal in the giant slalom in 2003.

Schlopy made his World Cup debut at age twenty in December 1992, scoring points in 24th place in a super-G at Val-d'Isère, France. His two career World Cup podiums came during his best season in 2001; he finished third in the giant slalom season standings and fifteenth overall. He won seven U.S. national championship titles and was a member of the U.S. Ski Team for fourteen seasons.[2]

Schlopy was a youngster when he started skiing at Kissing Bridge Ski Area near Buffalo, and when his family moved to Stowe, Vermont, he became a force in junior racing with the Mount Mansfield Ski Club. He attended Burke Mountain Academy and was Eastern junior champ at 14, J1 slalom and GS champ at 16, and joined the U.S. Ski Team at 18. Schlopy left the World Cup after the 1995 season to race pro, then decided to return to the World Cup and paid for his training and racing in Winter 1999, and was named to the 2000 Ski Team.

Schlopy retired from competition in 2008. He subsequently became a coach, and in August 2013 it was announced that he had joined the US national ski team as assistant coach to the men's alpine technical team, serving under Bernd Brunner.[2]

World Cup results

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Season standings

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Season Age  Overall   Slalom  Giant
 slalom 
Super-G Downhill Combined Parallel
1993 20 137 58
1994 21 122 43
2000 27 76 41 38
2001 28 15 22 3
2002 29 63 37 34
2003 30 29 20 12 49
2005 32 54 51 16
2006 33 46 62 15
2008 35 107 39

Race podiums

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  • 0 wins
  • 2 podiums (2 GS); 18 top tens
Season Date Location Discipline Place
2001 21 Dec 2000   Bormio, Italy Giant slalom 2nd
10 Mar 2001   Åre, Sweden Giant slalom 2nd

World Championship results

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  Year    Age   Slalom   Giant 
 slalom 
Super-G Downhill Combined Parallel Team
event
2001 28 21 DNF1
2003 30 15 3
2005 32 DNF1 17

Olympic results

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  Year    Age   Slalom   Giant 
 slalom 
Super-G Downhill Combined Team
event
1994 21 DNF1 34
2002 29 13 DNS2
2006 33 13

Personal life

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Schlopy is married to former Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders; they have two children. They are both Buffalo Bills fans. Freestyle skier Alex Schlopy is Erik's cousin and is the son of Erik's cousin Todd Schlopy, a former NFL placekicker for the Buffalo Bills in 1987.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ Reid, Del (3 June 2013). "Mafia Monday Interview with Summer Sanders". Bills Mafia.
  2. ^ a b "Erik Schlopy Joins Men's Alpine Staff". U.S. Ski & Snowboard. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  3. ^ Berg, Aimee (31 March 2011). "Schlopy: Olympic Legacy?". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  4. ^ Buffalo Bills Noteworthy Fans on Twitter Retrieved 14:25 PM EST on 29 JAN 2021.
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