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Dale Begg-Smith

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Dale Begg-Smith
Personal information
Born (1985-01-18) 18 January 1985 (age 39)[1]
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada[1]
Height186 cm (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Weight75 kg (165 lb)[1]
Sport
Country Australia
SportFreestyle skiing
Medal record
Men's freestyle skiing
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2006 Turin Moguls
Silver medal – second place 2010 Vancouver Moguls
FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 Madonna di Campiglio Dual moguls
Silver medal – second place 2007 Madonna di Campiglio Moguls
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Ruka Moguls

Dale Begg-Smith (born 18 January 1985) is an Australian-Canadian former Olympic freestyle skier.[2] Begg-Smith won the gold medal for Australia in the men's moguls event at the 2006 Winter Olympics and silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He is one of only five Australians to win a gold medal in a Winter Games and the youngest to win an Olympic Gold in the history of men's freestyle mogul skiing.[3][4] In the lead-up to the 2006 Winter Games, Dale Begg-Smith had won three World Cup rounds and was ranked world number one in the moguls discipline.[5] In 2010, Begg-Smith's fourth World Cup title put him even with French Skier Edgar Grospiron for most World Cup wins.[6]

Early years and career

Begg-Smith was skiing for his native Canada as a teenager when his coaches told him he was spending too much time on his successful business, and not enough time in training. He subsequently quit the Canadian ski program because it clashed with his business interests and, along with his brother Jason Begg-Smith, moved to Australia at age 16 to live with his cousin Nicole.[3] The brothers chose to ski for Australia because the country had a smaller ski program that offered them more attention and flexibility. This ensured that they could still successfully manage their business. The brothers stayed out of competitive skiing for three years and instead trained with the Australian team, living in Jindabyne each winter. The pair qualified for Australian citizenship after these three years in 2003–04, and were then free to compete for their adopted country.[citation needed]

Alisa Monk, coordinator of the moguls program, said that she booked Begg-Smith's hotels and flights economically, despite his wealth. "Wherever the team stays, he stays. There are certainly no big demands. You wouldn't know he had a bit of money." She also said, "When he is at Perisher he stays in the same hut as the other mogul skiers and his brother which is small and old and almost falling down", and that "He just doesn't try to stand out at all."[7]

Begg-Smith won silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, leading to some complaints about biased-judging from members of the Australian coaching staff.[8][9][10][11][12] “Sometimes you’re in the good graces of the judges, sometimes you’re not,” Gold medalist Alex Bilodeau said. “Judged sports can’t be perfect. It can be a bad part of my sport. I see it. But everybody is going to be equal in the end.” [12]

He is considered a recluse by many, and has repeatedly refused to communicate with non-Australian media, Canadian media in particular.[13] NBC dubbed him "the most mysterious man of the Winter Olympics" in a piece aired on 14 February 2010, during the Vancouver games.[14]

Begg-Smith holds the record for qualifying for the most consecutive World Cup finals in events he entered. In March 2010 he reached his 48th consecutive final, in events he entered, leading Australian moguls coach to say of the accomplishment that "he always qualifies. He has now qualified for 48 straight finals, which is incredible – I don't know if that's a record or not, but I would presume it is."[15]

After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Begg-Smith donated his prize money – about $13,670 – to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.[15]

Begg-Smith represented Australia at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,[16] reaching the 2nd qualifying round.[17]

Business controversy

There are claims that Begg-Smith's internet advertising business had been linked to the distribution of malware.[18][19] The Sydney Morning Herald reports that they had "...followed a trail of digital fingerprints scattered over the web which shows Mr Begg-Smith's long and rewarding involvement in the distribution of "malicious software".[11] Begg-Smith's manager, David Malina, said reports about his client's business had been "exaggerated", and that "it's not really something that he's involved with anymore ... he's minimised his involvement to concentrate on his sport."[11]

Honours

On 21 February 2006 Australia Post issued a postage stamp commemorating Begg-Smith's achievement, saying his gold put him in a "small and honoured group of athletes".[20] In 2005 Dale was awarded Ski and Snowboard Australia's Snowsports Athlete of the Year.[21]

Results

Olympic Results

Date Games Location Discipline Results Notes
15 February 2006 2006 Torino Olympics Sauze d'Oulx Men's Moguls Gold [22]
14 February 2010 2010 Vancouver Olympics Cypress Mountain Men's Moguls Silver [23]

World Championship Results

[23]

Date Location Discipline Event Result
9 March 2007 Madonna di Campiglio, Italy Moguls 2007 Freestyle World Championships Silver
10 March 2007 Madonna di Campiglio, Italy Dual Moguls 2007 Freestyle World Championships Gold
19 March 2005 Ruka, Finland Moguls 2005 Freestyle World Championships Bronze

World Cup Season Victories

[23]

Date Discipline
2005–2006 Moguls
2006–2007 Moguls
2007–2008 Moguls
2009–2010 Moguls

World Cup Podiums

[23]

Date Location Discipline Place
18-03-2010 Sierra Nevada Moguls Silver
1-01-2010 Lake Placid Moguls Silver
16-01-2010 Deer Valley Moguls Silver
14-01-2010 Deer Valley Moguls Gold
09-01-2010 Calgary Moguls Gold
08-01-2010 Calgary Moguls Gold
08-03-2008 Are Dual Moguls Silver
07-03-2008 Are Moguls Gold
16-02-2008 Inawashiro Moguls Gold
20-01-2008 Lake Placid, NY Moguls Gold
18-01-2008 Lake Placid, NY Moguls Silver
03-03-2007 Voss Moguls Gold
02-03-2007 Voss Moguls Gold
24-02-2007 Apex Moguls Gold
18-02-2007 Listel – Inawashiro Dual Moguls Gold
06-02-2007 La Plagne Dual Moguls Gold
05-02-2007 La Plagne Moguls Bronze
06-01-2007 Mont Gabriel Moguls Gold
18-03-2006 Apex, BC Moguls Gold
01-03-2006 Jisan Forest Resort Moguls Gold
04-02-2006 Spindleruv Mlyn Moguls Silver
28-01-2006 Madonna di Campiglio Moguls Gold
22-01-2006 Lake Placid, NY Moguls Gold
20-01-2006 Lake Placid, NY Moguls Gold
13-01-2006 Deer Valley, UT Moguls Bronze
18-12-2005 Oberstdorf Moguls Gold
11-02-2005 Naeba Moguls Bronze
05-02-2005 Inawashiro Moguls Silver
29-01-2005 Deer Valley, UT Moguls Silver

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Dale Begg-Smith". vancouver2010.olympics.com.au. Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Dale Begg-Smith – The Olympic hero of Australia". Olympic30. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  3. ^ a b Baum, Greg (17 February 2006). "Golden boy of the slopes". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  4. ^ Hine, Tommy (16 February 2006). "Ready for the conversion; Bloom sixth as thoughts turn to NFL; Dawson third". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. p. C.4.
  5. ^ "Dale begs the question: can Australia win a mogul medal in Turin?". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 January 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Begg-Smith wins another World Cup crown". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 March 2010.
  7. ^ MX: "The Mouse who Roared" (Quiet Achiever infobox). 16 February 2006
  8. ^ Brodie, Will; Scott Spits (15 February 2010). "Dale Begg-Smith Wins Silver Medal". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Digital. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  9. ^ Jeffery, Nicole (16 February 2010). "Dale Begg-Smith's Vancouver Olympics dream turns to slush". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  10. ^ "Australian official accuses judges of inflating Canada's score in men's moguls". The Province. 14 February 2010.
  11. ^ a b c Silkstone, Dan (16 February 2010). "Dale cruelly written out of hosts' fairytale". The Sydney Morning Herald. Cite error: The named reference "SMH" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b "Aussies claim Bilodeau's gold tainted". Toronto Sun. 15 February 2010.
  13. ^ Jeffery, Nicole (13 February 2010). "Dale Begg-Smith's bumpy road to glory". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  14. ^ "2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver on NBC(com) – Updated May 18, 2011 5:29 PM". Nbc.com. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  15. ^ a b "Dale Begg-Smith equals World Cup record". Herald Sun. 19 March 2010. Cite error: The named reference "heraldsun" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ "Australian Olympic team management apologise for Dale Begg-Smith runner". The Age. Melbourne.
  17. ^ "Dale Begg-Smith". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  18. ^ "Australian press on Dale Begg-Smith and spyware". ZDNet. 4 March 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  19. ^ "The Olympic skier known as 'spam king'". CNET Networks. 17 February 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  20. ^ Australia Post: "Australia Post to release Dale Begg-Smith gold medallist stamp". Retrieved 27 March 2006
  21. ^ "Dale Begg-Smith Profile". Ask Men. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  22. ^ CTV, Vancouver Olympics, airdate 15 February 2010
  23. ^ a b c d "biographie". FIS-Ski. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
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