The Utah outdoor and professional ski community is mourning the loss of Olympic medalist Jeret “Speedy” Peterson. Peterson’s body was found Tuesday in Lambs Canyon. He died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Peterson is being remembered along the Wasatch Front due to his many ties to Utah as an Olympic Freestyle Skier. He is perhaps best known for creating the innovative “Hurricane,” a five-twist and three-flip aerial maneuver that landed him a silver medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.
According to the Salt Lake Unified Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call made by Peterson. he told police was was going to take his own life and said he was in Lambs Canyoon between Salt Lake City and Park City. Officers found him around 11:30 p.m.
In a press release, U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said, “The entire Olympic family is heartbroken to hear the news of Jeret “Speedy” Peterson’s untimely passing. I know Speedy’s friends and family were incredibly proud of his effort in Vancouver, and his achievements were an inspiration to people all over the world. The personal challenges Speedy has battled are familiar to all of us, and on behalf of the U.S. Olympic Committee, I’d like to offer my sympathy to Speedy’s family and friends. Today is a sad day.”
U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt also released a statement, saying, “Today is a sad day in our sport. Jeret “Speedy” Peterson was a great champion who will be missed and remembered as a positive, innovative force on not only his sport of freestyle aerials, but on the entire U.S. Freestyle Ski Team family and everyone he touched.”
Along with his ties to the ski community in park City, Peterson was also a full-time business student at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.
It’s terrible to hear about such a talented skier being taken from this life. Below a news story from The Today Show memorializing “Speedy.”
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